


A Box Full of Darkness

by QuietDarkness



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-09-28 15:46:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 49,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10129973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: After many failed attempts to capture the evil speedster, coming to Earth-1 was the only option Harrison 'Harry' Wells felt that he had after his daughter Jesse was taken by Zoom. As events unfolded, the dark and brooding scientist would soon find that the people he'd chosen to use for his own means were becoming more like a family. And that one of them in particular was bringing new life to his guarded and damaged heart..."Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift."





	1. “She's not like other metas..."

**Author's Note:**

> (This is my first attempt at a fanfic based around The Flash characters, so please be kind! 
> 
> I know Original Characters are a touchy category, but I hope you give it a shot!
> 
> This story takes place during The Flash Season 2, and centers around Harry and an original character. Plenty of things taken from the show to make sure all you wonderful Flash fans out there don't kill me. But I have taken plenty of liberty, eventually veering away from the televised story. There is a bit of a time jump every now and then, but you'll be able to tell easily. Especially if you kept up with the show, so no worries.
> 
> Any advice on characters or development would be fantastic and very much appreciated!
> 
> A small note as to how I view Quinn Snow, the original character in this story... She's thirty years old, two years older than Caitlin. She's just subdued. I guess that's how I view her. Not easy around people, shy and awkward with anyone who isn't her sister. She can be close to others, but not necessarily open. She's got a lot of pain she doesn't know how to get past. She used to be really joyful, funny and outgoing. But what happened with Thawne (which you'll read about) changed all that. She views the world as a much harder place than it used to be, and isn't quite willing to go back to being naive and carefree. Meeting Harry gives her a new perspective. She sees in him the same kind of unease. Views him as a kindred spirit of sorts, despite their many differences. Over time, as they grow closer, he'll start to bring the old her back out. I hope this helps!
> 
> P.S. Please leave comments! Would love to know what ya'll think!)

“You... look just like him.” Iris West breathed out, stopping in her tracks as her eyes fell on Harry Wells, who was standing in the lab without any expression, hands on his hips.

“I'm guessing my counterpart did something to offend her as well?” Harry intoned to Cisco, who was standing beside him.

“Her fiance died because of him.” Cisco replied plainly.

“Oh.” Was all Harry dared to muster, crossing his arms and turning to head back into the small medical lab behind him, Cisco following quietly, leaving Iris and the momentarily blind Barry alone. He'd barely been here a week, and already Harry was finding it far more difficult than anything else to understand these people. They were like a group of children, constantly hand holding and whining, grating at the raw nerves of his psyche without letting up. The urge to rage endlessly was actually quite appealing. But it wouldn't help ingratiate himself to any of them. He was the man wearing the face of the big bad wolf, and only time and patience would get them past that. Two things he didn't have an abundance of.

“Is there anyone else I need to know about that the other me disturbed on some level?” Harry asked flatly, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. The list seemed to be comprised of nearly everyone that he'd met on Earth-1 thus far. Despite his lack of emotion toward their understandable angst and anxiety at his sudden appearance, he could at least try not to rub these people the wrong way. Allen seemed far more willing to deal with him than the others. Not that it mattered. He didn't need their approval, just their trust. He was here, and he was staying until he got what he came for: A way to defeat Zoom and get back his daughter, Jesse. 

“Well, there's Quinn.” And just like that, Cisco became extremely still, making an expression Harry couldn't read. Which didn't exactly bode well. Last thing he needed was a cog in the wheel that wouldn't rotate.

“Who's that?” His voice was so bland, it almost surprised even himself. He wondered sometimes if he even knew how to show other emotions anymore. His go-tos seemed to be limited to frustration, indifference, anger and a severe lack of anything regarding patience. Cisco, crossed his arms over his chest, shrugged and wandered toward him almost out of some sort of habit. Like he needed to move when he was thinking on things he'd rather not. It had registered very quickly that Cisco Ramon, this Cisco Ramon, was nothing like his counterpart. It was interesting, to say the least. A useful piece of information that he would keep tucked away for later use.

“Quinn Snow. She's Caitlin's sister, and part of the team. And will probably want to kill you when she sees you... so, ya know... practice ducking.” He cracked a light smile that made Harry narrow his gaze on him. Humor, something Ramon seemed to have in abundance even on a bad day.

“What did the other Wells do to her?” He demanded firmly, and Cisco's smile faded instantly. Good.

“He tortured her.” Ramon said, trying very hard to make it sound subtle despite the edge in his voice. But the feeling in the room grew heavier instantly. “Which probably means she'd love to get her hands on you. And not in the fun way, either.”

“You make her sound dangerous.” Harry watched Cisco tap his fingers on his arms.

“She is.”

“Okay... elaborate. Is she going to try to shoot me, too?” He remarked, recalling his first encounter with Joe West. When someone's gut reaction was to shoot a man on sight, it wasn't something worth forgetting.

And now he had to worry about this Quinn. Dangerous. That could mean any number of things. From being a bad driver to being an evil bastard like Zoom. Dangerous could be good. Shit, he himself was dangerous. He might have been a scientist, but he was just as much a soldier as anything else at this point. The Flash was dangerous as well, to those who crossed the line from good to criminal. But dangerous could also be bad. Very bad. Harry knew all too well the truth of that. Cisco glanced at him, letting his arms fall. For a moment, he thought Ramon might leave, but he looked up at him, a strange determination flooding his eyes.

“She's a meta.” He offered up, moving behind a console as if to put distance between himself and the only other person in the room. Harry.

“Yeah, and... so? Metas aren't always dangerous. And I doubt she'd be part of your 'team' if she was a threat.” He slipped his fingers into his pockets, watching the shorter man with a cold apathy. Cisco clenched his jaws momentarily, sighing through his nostrils. 

“She's not like other metas. Caitlin explained it like this... most have a certain set of abilities, based around a commonality, as I'm sure you're aware. But Q... her mutations aren't even related.” He reached down and pressed a few keys, motioning to the screen behind Harry, causing him to turn and look at the data he was displaying. As Harry read, he couldn't help but take a few steps forward.

“This is...” he shook his head, glancing back at Ramon, “It's remarkable. And impossible.” His rough tone forced out, turning back. “I can't even think of a way that she'd even be alive with this, let alone exist.” 

Some people, it turned out, had a biological variant. A gene that laid dormant until the right sort of circumstances activated it, in this instance a particle accelerator explosion that released elements such as dark matter and negative energy throughout Central City. A spontaneous chromosomal combustion happened in these individuals, and turned the disaster into a catalyst for unprecedented genetic change, resulting in metahuman abilities. The nature of the metas abilities was most often a result of whatever element the person happened to be near when hit by the blast. But having what looked like three different elemental bases in one meta? It was not only fascinating, but completely beyond anything he would have even theorized. 

“Q is an engineering genius. She helped design the layout for this entire facility, and came up with the set up for the core chamber in the pipeline, to make sure the particle accelerator ran more efficiently. She was supposed to be in the digital reads room to monitor the core's physical integrity when the accelerator was turned on. But,” he cleared his throat a little, “She was in the pipeline when the explosion happened, and she didn't remember how she got there.” Cisco's voice held a touch of controlled pain, as though it still hurt him to think about it. “We didn't know that Wells... the other Wells... Thawne... he drugged her and trapped her in there. It wasn't till just before he died that we found out he'd 'created' her for a reason. He said that she's an important part of the future. But he never elaborated on what that meant.”

Cisco made his way back around the console to stand beside Harry who couldn't take his eyes off all the data displayed before him. Quinn Snow had advanced healing capabilities, even more so than speedsters. Not only that, she could relay her healing, use it to heal other people. As if that weren't enough, she had a brand new 'organ' the size of a golf ball, that Caitlin had dubbed Organ 79, beneath her sternum. It acted as a sort of organic generator, allowing her to manipulate gravity waves to be used as a weapon or shield of sorts. And to top it all off, she could apparently absorb energy. From anything. Or anyone. It was a petri dish of incompatible abilities that somehow seemed to be working harmoniously in a single subject. Dangerous was definitely a good word.

“You said the other Wells tortured her.” Harry commented, only then pulling his eyes away. “How? Why?” It wasn't that he entirely cared. He wasn't an awful person. But he knew damn well he wasn't a good man, either. Nor a particularly nice one. He was on Earth-1 for a reason. Still, his curiosity was definitely peaked. Cisco looked up at him, unfazed by Harry's stature above him, or the lack of social skills the taller man seemed to be afflicted by. 

“When he realized we'd figured out who he was, he kidnapped Quinn and Eddie.” He began. Harry furrowed his brows lightly.

“The West girl's fiance.” He stated idly. Ramon nodded.

“Yes. He took them both. It's... sort of a long story. But with Q, he kept her in a chamber beneath the pipeline, and he...” He cleared his throat a little, “He came up with a drug that she couldn't shake quickly from her system. To keep her from escaping or hurting him, subduing her abilities. And he did these insane tests on her, dissected her to figure out how she could have so many abilities. He knew she would heal from whatever he did, which was why he wasn't afraid to do it. He told her he knew she'd survive, and go on to change the future.” Cisco looked down at his shoes then, moving one of his feet slightly. “She hasn't really been the same since. She used to be the life of the party, our Q. But what he put her through...” He cleared his throat a little, then stepped back. “Anyway. That's why you should probably steer clear of her, till we've had a chance to... explain you.” He said with an unconscious motion of fingers in Harry's general direction. If anything, Cisco was definitely outwardly active.

“Whatever you need to do, do it quick. I'm not here to play house, Ramon.” He could feel the younger man's eyes practically boring self righteous holes into the back of his head as he left the room, going to one of the other labs where he kept most of the tools he'd brought with him. Staying still, doing nothing, wasn't exactly his cup of tea. Neither was making friends. He wasn't here to coddle anyone, to get to know that ragtag team that Allen surrounded himself with. A dysfunctional family at best. That thought made him pause, leaning forward and pressing his palms to the metal table where he had set himself up.

_“How do you expect anyone to want to help you if you're constantly scaring them?” Jesse said, reaching past him to upright the tubes the lab assistant who'd fled had knocked over. His daughter, smarter than he could ever hope to be, smiled knowingly at him, crossing her arms and tilting her head with raised brows._

_“I can't help it if most people are morons.” He muttered, trying not to smile back at her. In his world of science and technology, she was the literal most absolute perfect thing in it. The one truly good thing he'd ever done with his life. Not that she'd ever believe it if he said it out loud. So he said it in other ways, like, “You're the only other competent person in this place.” He zipped up his set of small screw drivers, tossing the black case down onto the table. She gave a small giggle and shook her head._

_“The other person being you, I assume.” She clarified. He did smile then, wide and bright._

_“That's my Jesse. Always so quick.” He said, reaching forward and stroking her cheek for a moment. She just beamed at him. He'd always assumed it was just how a daughter looked at a father, as though he could do no wrong. In her eyes, he was far more the man than he ever felt he was._

_“Ya know, Dad...” she moved away from him, scooping up her bag from a chair in the corner, “It won't kill you to actually get to know people. Everyone makes mistakes, even you. Maybe you could just... I dunno... step out of your comfort zone every once in awhile. Or maybe you could try pretending other people are as important as you or me.” She came back over, getting up on her toes to kiss his cheek. And with that, she practically skipped out of the room, off to do whatever genius teenage daughters did on Friday afternoons. He stood at that table for a long quiet moment before picking up his tablet and turning it on with a shake of his head._

_“No one is more important than you, Jesse Quick.”_

The lump in his throat, the stinging in his eyes was a terrible reminder of what was missing, why he was even there in the first place. There was nothing and no one more important in his waste of an existence than his daughter. And nothing and no one else ever would be. He straightened up, clearing his throat, grabbing his glasses hastily off the table top. As he slipped them on, his attention drew to the computers in front of him. The metal stool next to him made a grating sound as he pulled it back, sitting and reaching for the keyboard. After a few keystrokes, the files and information Cisco had shown him of Quinn Snow appeared on the screen before him, along with a picture of Caitlin and Quinn hugging, standing together just outside the front doors of S.T.A.R. Labs. 

The resemblance wasn't initially seen. They were about the same height. But Quinn's hair was long, thick, straight and black, tumbling far beyond her shoulders in thick strands. Her skin was pale, an almost alabaster white. Her features were strong, brilliant blue eyes accenting a delicate brow ridge. And her smile was... well, the only word he could think of was beautiful. Truly. As though no other adjective would ever be good enough. She was unmistakably lovely, like her sister. Not model chic, not actress perfect. But... naturally beautiful. She had her flaws, what some might view as imperfections. A scar through her right eyebrow. A crooked curve to her smile. Perhaps a little more tone than most men might care for. But still beautiful. And he couldn't help but notice that she looked happy in that image. It made him think, after everything Cisco had told him, this picture must have been taken before the other Wells got his hands on her. He wondered if anyone would even be able to smile after that. The more and more he learned of his Earth-1 counterpart, the more he didn't want to. Harry would never pretend to be the poster boy for good deeds and kindness. But even Zoom barely held a candle to this asshole, which was saying something. And now here was this woman, this Quinn.

Convincing the others to work with him was the easy part. Barry trusted him almost instantly. Cisco and Caitlin, despite Jay's obvious dislike, seemed to be following suit. They all knew he had an insight to Zoom that they needed, and his willingness to simply aid them in their endeavors seemed to be the icing on the cake. But looking at this picture of the Snow sisters, and knowing now what the other Wells had done to her, Harry couldn't help but think she was going to be a challenge he was simply unprepared for. 

And if there was one thing Harrison Wells did not like, it was being unprepared...


	2. "I'll walk with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of blood, pain.

_She felt far too heavy, every muscle and limb like dead weight. If she hadn't been able to feel every damn thing, she would have thought she was paralyzed. The best way she could think to describe it was weakness, settled into every tendon, every inch of bone, every stretch of her being. The only thing she could do was move her head. And even that was a whole lot harder than it should have been._

_She tried desperately to push through the grogginess, the hollow feeling that had filled up her head with fuzzy echoes and confusion. There was a light above her. A large medical light, the sort used during surgery, glared bright above her, making her blink against it as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Everything was dark otherwise. The air smelled like stale, wet metal. Or like a basement. Maybe even a garage. It was just an unkempt mix of smells that made little to no sense to her subdued brain._

"I was wondering when you'd wake up." _She heard his voice. And something registered. She felt her throat seize, her heart speed up. Fear... anger? Both? She stared wide eyed as Doctor Harrison Wells came into view. No, not Wells. He'd never been Wells. He'd called himself Eobard Thawne._

"W-where..." _she tried to talk, but her voice sounded like she'd just smoked a pack of cigarettes in a matter of minutes. Thawne smiled beside her, reaching out of her view for something. The sound of an elastic snap followed shortly after and his latex gloved hands came back into view, one of which was holding a scalpel. Why would he need a scalpel?!_

"I wouldn't try to talk. And you won't be moving much. Unfortunately, there isn't a single sedative I know of that can put you out for this. So you'll just have to muscle through it, Quinn." _He said, a sort of amused smile on his face. A smile she'd never seen him make before. It chilled her, terrified her. Panic set in, eyes brimming with tears._

"No, please..." _She croaked out. She tried to get her arms and legs to work, to fight against the bindings that were pinning her down. It was only then that she realized she was naked from the waist up, watching him lower the scalpel to the center of her chest. He paused, looking over at her._

"Don't worry, Quinn. You'll survive this. After all, you've got a hell of a future to look forward to." _And without further hesitation, he pressed one hand down on her sternum, and dug the scalpel in, dragging it in a long painful line down. She couldn't fathom words. Couldn't watch him cut her open, either. Her head fell back, tears streaming unbridled from her eyes. The pain was... well, it wasn't even pain, really. She knew pain. This was worse. All she could do was scream raspily, helplessly as he brought out a small rotating electric saw. The sound alone..._

_The feel of him cutting into her sternum was an agony that she didn't know could exist anywhere except in tales of Hell. And she might as well have been in hell at that moment. And Thawne was her own personal devil. It didn't take long for the pain and shock to turn her into a twitching, numb thing. She didn't even feel human after long, as though she were outside it all, falling into a grave of shadows and too bright lights. The last thing she saw before slipping completely under the dark waves of unconsciousness was Thawne's bloody gloved hands hovering above her. Hell was real, it turned out. And it was wearing his face..._

* * *

Quinn could heal a lot of things. But the spine wasn't one of them. Nerve bundles were far too complex for her abilities, it seemed. She could relieve Barry's pain, and was able to heal the rest of the damage. But even after multiple attempts, there was no healing the bulk of what Zoom had done to him. Watching him suffer, watching him brood was nearly as hard as witnessing what had happened to him in the first place. He'd heal eventually, his abilities would make sure of that. But there were some things that even time couldn't erase. The memory of his defeat, his humiliation, stuck around. It took Barry's father and Caitlin's abduction by Grodd to get Barry out of his own head. It was like flipping a switch. Though he'd never quite be rid of those memories, he'd found a way to push past them. A way that Quinn had yet to find for herself.

There was a time when she was happy. When she knew what real sleep was like. When nightmares weren't a regular occurrence. When she could look in the mirror without seeing a ghost, a stranger. But that time felt like forever ago. It felt like a dream, really. As though that Quinn Snow, the one who could joke and loved watching stupid cat videos with Cisco and could braid Caitlin's hair for hours and could beat Barry in chess every time, never existed to begin with. She knew there was something seriously wrong with her. That something very tangible and critical had been broken, even taken from her. But she had no way of knowing what that was.

The others tried to help her. But they were just as lost. She envied them, how strong they all were, how they all pushed forward and fought on without letting the past stave off their future existence. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to follow suit. Quinn only felt the most real when she was fighting something, often side by side with Barry. When she was in the thick of it, powers consuming her, mind on task, she felt solid, tangible, the sheer idea of shaking apart far, far away. Otherwise? She was a ghost walking around in the body of a woman no one seemed to know anymore. She did everything she could to be unimposing, to melt into the walls unless she was really needed. She was still close to them, all of them. They were her family, how could she not be? But there was something missing. An ability to be connected to them on a deeper level was just beyond her now. Under Thawne's thumb those weeks, she was pretty sure she'd lost her mind at one point. She wasn't crazy. But she wasn't quite with it, either. She didn't want them to see that. To see the darkness that had settled deep within in her very being, more like a friend now than something to be feared. It was why fighting metas, the principal 'bad guys', made her feel better. Because hurting them made her feel less broken. Making them pay made her feel far more whole. And if she ever admitted that out loud, she was pretty sure the people who loved her wouldn't love her anymore. So she kept on keeping on. Hiding herself, captive to a world that no longer understood her. She lived in quiet darkness, and did her part, did her job. Just like everyone else.

Which was why she was in the med lab now.

She could feel Earth-2 Wells' crystal blue eyes on her, a quiet stare that had settled on her face. His expression was guarded, and rightfully so. Barry and the others had explained all about Harry. And logically, she knew he wasn't Thawne. But the memories attached to that face were... painful. Memories that gave her nightmares every time she tried to sleep. Everything in her was battling between being scared shitless of that face, and wanting to pummel it into a goopy mess. It was a battle of wills she didn't want to be having. Ever. She swallowed lightly, rubbing her hands together as she stepped up beside the gurney he was sitting on. "You don't have to." He said softly, his voice making her meet his gaze. And for a brief moment, she couldn't breathe. He _was_ different. He had Thawne's face. He had his voice, even. But those eyes... weren't Thawne's eyes.

"Yes I do." She finally said, blinking herself back into the here and now, letting one hand fall while the other moved to hover just above the wound in his side. When Harry went in to save Caitlin from Grodd, he'd been thrown around like a rag doll. "You saved my sister." Quinn cleared her throat, taking a step forward. That was no small thing in Quinn's mind. Caitlin was everything to her. She was the one person in her messed up world who Quinn was pretty sure would never leave her, no matter what she knew. With that thought, Quinn was about to put her hand flat over his wound when he gently grabbed her with his free hand, his fingers curling into her palm. 

"I can't imagine how hard this is for you, me being here." The sincerity in his voice was almost startling, she couldn't take her eyes off of him, off his eyes. Those eyes that weren't Thawne's, eyes that were far more real, far more true. "I'm sorry, Quinn. Truly. But I'm not him, the other Wells. I won't hurt you." She had to swallow, had to catch her breath again. The words he said, the way he stared at her unblinking as though he were afraid if he did, she would disappear completely... it calmed her. It was such a confusing thing to feel. She nodded, and watched as his hand slipped away from hers.

Healing was simple. Or at least it felt simple. It came so naturally, like breathing or blinking. Her fingers and palm flattened against his side, over the wound. Harry watched as black veins began to spread down her arm, her hand, her fingers. It was the only visible part of what she did. He'd feel warmth, a deep and penetrating heat that was only slightly uncomfortable. In fact, it was more cozy than anything. Or at least that's how the others had described it. For her, it was something else. An ache that settled deep within her bones until it was over. It was an almost comforting ache now, an old friend, an ugly but comfortable sweater. When she lifted her hand, the veins in her skin receding, his wound was gone. Erased. Not even a scar in its wake. She let out a shuddered sigh, closing her eyes for a moment, feeling the ache evaporate. When she finally looked at him, his mouth was slightly open, and those damn beautiful crystal blue eyes of his were holding her gaze instantly. Beautiful. That's what they really were. Beautiful, and intelligent, and... broken.

She watched him force himself to blink out of his momentary awed expression, a single nod given in her direction as he slipped his black undershirt back down over his stomach. "Thank you, Quinn." He muttered, watching her step back so he could get off the gurney. The confusion she felt was suffocating. She hugged herself quietly, watching him every moment like if she stared long enough, this strange interaction would make far more sense. 

"Harry, feeling better?" Caitlin asked, stepping into the room, Barry behind her. When he simply nodded, she smiled. "I want to thank you, for saving me." She hooked her arm into Quinn's, holding on gently to her sister but watching Harry. He glanced from one sister to the other, then nodded again. Quinn leaned instinctively into Caitlin, half for comfort and half for something solid to hold on to.

"Well... we're a team, right?" He stated more than asked, but there was an unsure tone to his expression that made Quinn want to reassure him. Despite all they had been through, all that had been done to each of them, they were a team. And Harry... well, after what he'd done for her sister, Quinn couldn't help but think he was a part of that now. Which was just damn unsettling. It was a crazy, unintelligible batch of ingredients. 

"I'm impressed. Think we all are." Barry said, glancing behind him at Iris, Joe, Henry and Cisco. Harry slipped off the gurney, testing his side out gingerly for a moment, as though he was still getting used to the idea that Quinn had 'magically' taken away his injury. The conversation that followed centered around how to get Grodd through a breach to Harry's Earth. They each had their parts to play, and began preparing. Barry and Caitlin would lure Grodd to the speed canon, the quark matter would stabilize, stretching the breach, and both Barry and Quinn would force Grodd into the breach. 

"So... exactly how are you going to go up against a giant telepathic gorilla?" Harry asked from behind her. She froze momentarily, not at all comfortable with being alone with him. But she forced herself to look at him, tucking some hair behind her ear. They were standing in the breezeway where the speed canon was kept, unhooking the cables to transport it. She was silent for a long moment, eyes moving around the room. She could go into the whole scientific explanation of what her abilities were. But she wasn't stupid. She knew he'd probably done his research on her, on all of them. So she opted to just show him and get it over with. Quinn stepped next to Harry, well aware that he was watching every move she made like she was the most fascinating creature on the planet. It should have unnerved her, made her want to run out of the room. But she didn't feel that unease, that fear that would have made sense. She lifted one hand wordlessly, the black veins spreading throughout her skin almost instantly. The gravity waves that pulsed from her palm and outstretched fingers slammed into an empty metal barrel, sending it flying across the room and slamming it into the concrete wall with little effort. When she lowered her hand and looked over at him, she felt everything in her go still.

Harry had raised a hand of his own, wordlessly reaching up. He moved slowly, as though he were testing a theory. Would she or wouldn't she let him touch her? Shit, would she? Touch was not something she was opposed to. She often would curl up with Caitlin on the couch of their shared apartment in a tangle of limbs, like cuddling children. She would rest her head in Cisco's lap when she was too tired to go home. She would hug Barry out of the blue, just to be sure she could. But this was different. This was Harrison Wells. Sure, not the Wells they all hated, not Thawne. But still... They both got their answer, though, when his fingers touched her cheek, trailing down several branches of the black veins just before they disappeared. "All you can do..." he said, his stare moving along her jawline. "Does it hurt you?" His question was so out of left field. No one had ever really asked her that before. Ever. And it just manifested a sudden burst of gratefulness she couldn't understand. His hand fell as he stepped back, unhooking the last of the cables, seemingly content to work while waiting for her to answer. She had to fight the urge to reach up and touch the spot on her face that his fingertips had touched. 

"It... aches." Quinn replied before she could second guess herself. Being around Harry was so different than being around the other Wells had been. Thawne was always so regarding, mentoring, calculating. A perfectly controlled storm in a patient and stoic mind. It wasn't till everything fell apart for him that she'd learned how much of a mask all that had been, how much of a part he'd been playing. But with Harry, there was no acting. He was what he was. A callous, take no shit, do or die, damn frustrating, easily angered, highly intelligent, satisfyingly real man. And it was refreshing. She also firmly believed now that his eyes were different than Thawne's, down to the last detail. There were subtle flecks in his eyes, and no hint of the dullness the other Wells had sported. Though he probably didn't realize it, he wore his emotions in them like armor. And when he looked at her, it was as though she was the only one in the universe. Even if other people were in the room, when his eyes were on her, they were well and truly only on her. 

She moved then to help him put the speed cannon on the rollers they'd already set up. "How?" He asked, stepping away once it was in place, wiping his palms on his black jeans. "How does it ache?" Quinn shrugged in response, crossing her arms, almost hugging herself. This wasn't really a conversation she'd ever planned on having, let alone with him.

"It feels like," she furrowed her brows, thinking about how to explain it, "Like something has been driven deep into my bones and left to settle there, something that doesn't quite belong but can never be taken out. It pulses, makes my joints feel heavy, my muscles sore every time I use my abilities. But it passes as soon as I stop." She shook her head, "I've gotten used to it."

"It's probably a side effect of warring elements in your DNA." Harry said, sounding ever like the scientist that he was. She knew that line of thinking, where everything could come back to a scientific source. Caitlin and Cisco did it all the time, in their own ways. Hell, even she did it. Hearing it from Harry, who was like a dog with a bone when it came to solving problems, made her smile lightly. A smile that did not go unnoticed by the tall man in front of her. "You should do that more often." He said softly, then blinked. As though he hadn't quite meant to say it out loud. He cleared his throat, looking away. "Come on, Lady Raven. We still have some prepping to do." There was a touch of sarcasm in his tone when he said the name that Cisco had come up for her 'alter ego', back when she first manifested her abilities. Harry seemed to find all the names Cisco made up to be amusing. And at first, she hadn't understood the whole 'Lady Raven' thing, either. But the black hair, the black veins, the utterly Gothic feel of what she looked like when using her powers, it made much more sense now. Edgar Allen Poe would have been proud.

Quinn followed Harry in quiet strides, which he didn't seem to mind. He'd barely known him for more than a few hours, but she could easily see he appreciated silence, efficiency, and haste. It wasn't until he turned toward the pipeline that her steps slowed and she practically froze in place. She knew he was just planning on taking a shortcut through one of the access tunnels. But she couldn't do that... no that, everything in her screaming not to go that way. She'd been kept in a hole in that pipeline for weeks by Thawne, tortured and tested on and dissected like a frog. Rationally, she knew it was just a place. Now empty. No demons, no hell, no monsters slicing her open and turning her inside out. But that mentally broken part of herself did everything she could now to avoid it. The memories and the pain that went with them were still far too raw, a constant reminder that she might never really get better. Yet another reason to hate herself. Harry seemed to sense that she'd fallen back, and he turned to look at her. At first, he got that frustrated expression he often had when people were wasting time, the lines on his face tugging, his teeth gritting behind tight lips. But then a quick realization came over him as he glanced back the way he'd been headed. "I'll just... meet you there." Quinn sheepishly blurted out, turning and heading away down the hall before Harry could say anything. She didn't want to have to explain. It was one thing, to feel crazy. It was another to have someone look at her like she was. She hated how stupid she felt, how afraid she was of someone that didn't even exist anymore. It made her angrier than she could ever remember being, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't get past it.

"I'll walk with you." Harry's voice suddenly broke into her inner frustrations, making her jump a little, a strangled sound escaping her mouth as her black veins flushed over her skin in response, her power bubbling up. His hand went out instinctively to touch her back, absolutely no fear that she might let that threat of power loose. Instead, his hand fell and he smiled a little before looking ahead, his fingers slipping into his pockets. Here was this man who wanted everything done right, everything done quickly, everything done to perfection. And instead of taking a route that would cut a good ten minutes off his day, he'd decided to walk with her the long way around. Her power fizzled out, the veins receding as a strange dumbfound weight took her over. Quinn had to tear her eyes away from him. She felt... shit, she didn't even know the right word. Harry was turning out to be far more surprising than she'd counted on. Whether or not that was a good thing, only time would tell...


	3. "Velocity six?"

The moment Harry realized he was feeling more for Quinn than a bizarre curiosity was the first time he heard her sing.

He'd been going over the same data from his failed attempts at creating a speed serum for literal hours, re-writing the base equation dozens of times to try and see if the problem was in his calculations. The glass board was scribbled with his work, and when the frustration and uselessness of it all finally caught up with him, he turned, chucking the pen across the room and nearly hitting Quinn right in the face.

She didn't even blink.

She was just standing in the doorway, a cup of tea in one hand, watching him with the most utterly calm expression he'd ever seen anyone have. He'd noticed a great many things about the darker haired Snow sister as the weeks went on. She was a stirring pot of things that didn't seem quite harmonious, and yet here she was. When in danger, when in the thick of things that would scare lesser mortals, she was never afraid. She never backed away from a fight, never shied away from what needed to be done. She was strong, filled to the brim with an undying courage he didn't know could exist till he'd met her. But when there was nothing to fight, nothing along her lines of expertise to fix, she was just a shy, withdrawn and delicate woman, able to exude a quiet loveliness, who constantly had him watching before he'd even realized he'd begun.

Seeing her now, realizing he'd almost pegged her in the head with his marker, made him simply freeze in place like an idiot. Jesse always told him his temper was more like a toddler's than a grown man's. A running joke, really. But it was moments like this that made him think the claim really did have a great deal of validity. He turned a little more, darting his eyes away and bringing a hand up to the back of his head, rubbing his messy hair in embarrassment. He should have apologized, but his head was still reeling with numbers and the equation now at his back. He was getting nowhere, and it was really pissing him off. Besides, apologizing wasn't really his strong suit. His idea of apologizing was physically making up for things. Like fixing things, or standing first in front of danger. Both were easier than saying the words, 'I'm sorry.'

But Quinn, ever-surprising-Quinn, stepped into the room. She set her mug down next to one of the consoles, setting her hands on the keyboard and mouse without looking at him. He furrowed his brows, forgetting instantly that he'd nearly pelted her in the head, dropping his hand and watching her. "What are you doing?" His tone was so distinctly impatient. He couldn't quite help it. He was quickly realizing she was turning into a distraction for him. Hell, they all were. Cisco with his humor and ingenuity, Caitlin with her kindness and quick thinking, Barry with his willingness to learn. But mostly Quinn, with her easy temper and strange way of navigating the world that made him want to simultaneously shield her from everything and yet give her all the freedom she could possibly want. How could one woman be so annoyingly bewildering?

She didn't answer his question, which wasn't unusual. Sometimes, she just ignored his rantings, happy to let him waste his breath. Or so it seemed. There was a small smile playing across her pale pink lips as she turned to him, clicking once more with the mouse and moving toward him. She was wearing probably one of the ugliest sweaters he'd ever seen. A long gray, warn out button up that nearly swallowed her whole. She wore it a lot, as though it was a source of comfort. Like a child with a blanket. Beneath that was a purple t-shirt that had the periodic table on it, and a pair of blue jeans. Her hair was down, a perpetual lovely mess of subtle black waves. And she had bare feet. She did that a lot, too. No socks, no shoes. As though she just needed to feel something real and solid beneath her all of the time. It was quirky, even oddly endearing. The moment she reached him, all logical thought went completely out of his head, as though she had the ability to occupy more than just his space simply by being. Music began to slip through the speakers in the room, floating around him in delicate tones of strings. All he could do was stare at her through his glasses, desperately trying to ignore the sudden inability to talk he'd seemed to come down with. She reached forward and grabbed his right hand, slipping it onto her side. Then she slipped her other hand into his left, her free hand resting warmly up onto his shoulder. Before he knew it, they were moving, swaying in a lazy dance that was nothing to do with being fancy or overt. He couldn't have even said why he'd gone along with it. It was a waste of time, time he could be using to work on the equation, time he could be-

And then she started to sing, her voice so graceful and tender, there was no way he was thinking about numbers and serums. He was suddenly lost in a world that didn't exist, pulled in by the gentleness of her voice, the feel of her moving further into him as the music carried on and she sang, looking up at him with shining eyes and a fragile smile...

'Hold me close and hold me fast,  
the magic spell you cast,  
this is la vie en rose.  
When you kiss me, heaven sighs.  
And though I close my eyes,  
I see la vie en rose.  
When you press me to your heart,  
I'm in a world apart.  
A world where roses bloom.  
And when you speak, angels sing from above.  
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs.  
Give your heart and soul to me,  
and life will always be  
la vie en rose.'

When the song ended, and silence suddenly seemed so very loud, she stepped back, tucking wayward strands of hair behind both of her ears and looking down at the floor, a gentle blush spreading across her pale cheeks. "Feel better?" She asked then, daring to glance up at him. He couldn't lie... he did. All that frustration, all that tension, it was gone. Completely. Well, shit.

"Yes." He nearly whispered. And the smile, god her smile... it was perfect, it was everything, it was a problem. 

"Good." She said, nodding and stepping back, bending down to pick up the marker he'd tossed which had rolled toward the middle of the room. She set it on the desk, grabbing her cup of tea back up, stealing one last glance at him before disappearing into the hallway, leaving him standing exactly where she left him, completely silent and completely craving the sudden loss of her presence.

This was bad. This was completely and utterly bad. 

No, not bad.

Wonderful. Painfully so.

Quinn had every reason to be afraid of him, even hate him, after what Thawne had done to her. But she'd told him once that he didn't really look like the other Wells to her anymore. It had seemed like an incredibly naive statement to him, considering they had the same face. And he'd said as much. She'd just shrugged and told him, _'It's your eyes.'_ And left it at that. 

Why in the goddamn multiverse did this woman have to exist? Here and now, of all times and places. Why?!

He forced himself to snap out of his inner argument, clearing his throat, pulling his glasses off and heading to the Cortex, leaving the marker board behind. He needed to get out of that room, away from the feel of her in his arms, her voice soothing his inner asshole. He plopped down in one of the chairs, bringing up the equations and formulas on one of the screens. He needed to get his mind back on the work. Barry and Cisco were off to Star City, meeting with the glorified archer, the Green Arrow, to try to help some woman Cisco had fallen head over heels for. So it was Caitlin who came up behind him. "What're you working on?" She asked, hovering slightly nearby, drawing his attention.

"This is a formula meant to increase a speedster's velocity that I've been developing since Zoom showed up on my Earth. Ironically," he explained, moving a tab aside on the screen, "This was meant to help out Jay Garrick." It almost amazed him how calm he was, explaining this to her. Quinn's ability to drag the tension and perpetual ill-ease completely out of him had worked wonders. Would she ever get out of his head now? 

"You want to give Barry a drug to make him run faster?" She asked, a slight note of intrigue in her tone. Always the scientist.

"Temporarily enhance the Speed Force in his system, yes."

"So you're trying to make nitrous oxide for speedsters." Caitlin gave a small smirk at that. And Harry found himself smiling in response.

"Good analogy. Yes, I tried. Five times I've tried, five times I've failed. That's what you get when your background is technology and not biochemistry." He explained, a sigh settling in his throat. 

"Well, then you are lucky I am here." She responded, moving to sit beside him. 

"What does that mean?" He asked, turning his attention to her. 

"You've been thinking of this as a mechanical problem, not a bio-mechanical one." She settled in the chair beside him, turning to face the screen. He could see it then, the resemblance to Quinn. Though the sisters were a few years apart, they both had the same youthful glint in their eyes when they were struck with an idea or need to solve a problem. They were both highly intelligent women, a credit to their fields. And it was hard not to see Quinn in Caitlin in that moment, and vice versa had Quinn been there.

"And what does that mean?" He puzzled, a touch of humor in his words.

"When a speedster runs, they consume and extraordinary amount of oxygen." She began, typing calculations that made his simulation change form slightly on the computer screen. "So we just need something to give an extra boost of oxygen during that time."

"Like an oxygen generator."

"Exactly. So we just need a chemical that's rich in oxygen, that would release it as a nearly pure gas as it decomposes." Caitlin mused, Harry making notes as she spoke. It was brainstorming like this that he loved, like minds finding solutions to difficult problems for a common goal. Science at its finest. "Something like Sodium Chlorate. Then all we need is heat to release the oxygen."

"Which a speedster generates naturally in the form of lightning." He offered up, crossing his arms and glancing back at the screens in front of them.

After a moment, Caitlin smiled lightly. "I think something like this just might work."

"You think you can help me figure it out?" He asked her, knowing she'd hide her enthusiasm.

"I can certainly try." She smiled, turning back to the screens.

It was cake after that. Before Quinn's intervention, he never would have been calm enough to even bring Caitlin in on this. The sound of the dark haired Snow's voice still seemed to float around in his head as he and Caitlin worked. At one point, he found himself glancing toward the hallway, remembering the feel of her pressed ever so tentatively against him as they danced, her eyes so close that he could drown himself in them and be perfectly fine dying that way. He had to stand up and stretch in an attempt to get his head back in the game. But he was beginning to realize that Quinn was becoming far more than a colleague, or even a friend. All it took was a dance and a song, and he was well and truly falling. And that thought alone instantly froze him, scaring him more than he could wrap his head around. He kept coming back to the thought that this, that Quinn, was most certainly a problem.

"Harry?" Caitlin's voice broke through, making him dart his eyes in her direction. "I think I did it." She said, turning to look at him as he approached her. He rubbed his jaw for a moment, glancing over the simulation. He couldn't help the tug at the corners of his mouth, a small stretch of lips into a light smile.

"What do you know, Snow. I think you did it." He always called her Snow, always called her sister Quinn. It was easier that way. Caitlin practically beamed next to him, soaking in the well deserved praise just as Jay Garrick walked into the room behind them.

"Velocity six?" The tall blond man asked, looking past them at the simulation. Jay Garrick, Earth-2's flash, was no fan of Harry's. And he certainly was no fan of his. But he could be useful when necessary, despite his lack of a backbone. "This is what was so urgent, Harrison?" He demanded. God, Harry hated the way his name sounded in that man's mouth. But he kept his composure, even when Jay's tone grew increasingly agitated. "You get me to come here so I can take your speed drug?"

"That's right." Harry replied, smiling, narrowing his gaze on the slightly taller man. 

"You knew about this?" He accused Caitlin, ever dramatic. Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

"Of course she did. She figured it out." He interjected, motioning a thumb in her direction, giving her the praise she surely deserved. 

"Uh... I thought this was to help Barry." She tried to reason, sounding suddenly unsure, glancing from one man to the other. 

"It is to help Barry, which is why we need to do test runs on subjects who once had the Speed Force in their system." He explained, lifting a hand toward Jay with an ever present smirk.

"Speed Force doesn't work like that. It's not something you can create in a lab." Jay challenged. It was then that Quinn appeared, stopping dead in her tracks as it quickly dawned on her she'd walked right into an argument. It took all of Harry's will not to look at her. 

"How do you think you became the Flash, Garrick?" Harry chided, stepping toward Jay. "By me and a lab. Science is what did this to you, to Barry, to Zoom. And science is what we need to stop Zoom, and this is our only option." He hadn't really seen or heard Quinn move toward him, till she was standing beside him, one delicate hand touching his lower back gingerly, as if to subtly calm him. And for some reason, it did. He stole a glance at her, her striking eyes looking up at him quietly, unreadable.

"Find another one! Speed Force can't be replicated or enhanced. It's a living thing. It's a gift that was given to me." Harry let out a sigh, shaking his head as Jay barreled on. Harry could stay calm. For whatever reason, that was important to Quinn. So he gave a sarcastic smile to Jay before turning away. "That drug, you have no idea what it's gonna do. I'm not letting another one of your experiments mess with me again." Harry picked up his jacket as Jay kept going. The man was just one giant idealist jackass. They'd never seen eye to eye, Jay happy to blame Harry for everything under the sun, unable to do much more than hide like a coward when the shit really hit the fan. Just like now. "You find someone else to be your guinea pig."

Harry ignored Caitlin's suddenly stuck position entirely as he slipped his jacket on, but couldn't help look at Quinn who had a studied look on her face, as though she were trying to figure out the situation, but not wanting to say a word in the moment. She did that a lot, thought before she spoke. He gave her a light, real smile. No hint of sarcasm, not a bit of tension directed toward her. Then he turned, just after Jay disappeared, put his hat on and headed for the door. 

"Where are you going?" Caitlin demanded, glancing from her sister to him.

"To pick up what we need."

"Wait! Jay just said we shouldn't give it to Barry." Caitlin was exasperated, he could see it and hear it. Jay always seemed to make her flip sides like a coin in a turbine. "Quinn, help me out." She breathed, turning to look at her. But Quinn just stood there, arms hugging her sweater closed, looking at Harry with softly furrowed brows. And she didn't say a damn word. Harry wasn't sure why, but that was more than enough for him.

"We're gonna do what we need." And with that, Harry left the Cortex.

He could almost feel Quinn's eyes on him, even after he'd disappeared out of sight. He was beginning to think she was always with him now, more than a fascination and calming presence in his new day to day life. She was a mystery he couldn't solve, and a woman he couldn't stop himself from wanting to know more of. As he got into one of S.T.A.R. Labs vans, he paused with his hand over the radio. Then let his fingers fall away from the dials. He didn't turn it on. Instead, he hummed to himself as he pulled out, a simple song that a beautiful raven haired woman had put in his head, forgetting for a little while that a dance in a lab was all he could allow himself to have...


	4. "Talk to me."

She could still hear the sound of the gun shot. 

Patty Spivot shooting Harry in the chest was so far out of the realm of possibilities for how Quinn had seen this day going that seeing him laying there unconscious, Caitlin's hands over the wound, had seared itself permanently to Quinn's retinas. Or at least that's what it felt like. She could still see him splayed out on the floor every time she closed her eyes. The rage she'd felt, the calm, quiet darkness bubbling up to take center stage in her mind, to hurt someone, anyone for hurting Harry... it was more than a little disconcerting when all was said and done. She was used to feeling that darkness when she was fighting. But to actively call on it? That was a whole new ball game.

_'No, don't hurt her!' Caitlin had blurted out from the floor beside Harry. Quinn had advanced on Patty so fast that the blond haired woman nearly fell over. The sight of Quinn when she was angry, when her black veins were prominent everywhere, when her eyes turned black and gray, completely bled of white and blue, was frightening. It was like witnessing the birth of a living nightmare. Quinn knew it, and didn't care. In that moment, she wanted only one thing: to hurt Patty. Only Caitlin's panicked voice had kept her from throwing Barry's girlfriend across the room._

_'You're... you're Lady Raven.' Detective Spivot blurted out, eyes wide as she righted herself. Just like The Flash, Quinn's hero persona was well known in Central City. Perhaps not as well liked, but she could care less._

_'There's no time for that. Didn't Joe West explain this to you?!' Caitlin demanded, a controlled anger in her tone that Quinn knew all too well. Quinn had to force herself to move away from Patty, kneeling on the other side of Harry. Her eyes returned to their pure blues as she reached a veined hand forward to stroke Harry's hair, worry welling up over the sudden anger that Patty had elicited._

_'No...' Patty blurted, eyes darting from one woman to the other._

_'Just... call Joe!' Caitlin ordered, turning her attention back to Harry. Patty began dialing instantly._

It had taken all three women to get Harry onto a gurney. Caitlin worked effortlessly to stop the bleeding and hooked him up to a ventilator, to help him breathe. There was nothing more Quinn wanted in that moment than to heal Harry. But she couldn't as long as that bullet was inside him. The ache in her bones was thrumming throughout her body, having to keep her 'Lady Raven' persona up so that Patty wouldn't know who she truly was. It should have been the last thing she had to worry about. But she and Barry had both learned awhile back that their true identities in the wrong hands could cause all sorts of problems. Besides, the second that bullet came out, she wasn't going to waste time. She was going to heal Harry and get this strange nightmare over with.

"He'll be alright, Quinn." Caitlin's soothing voice met her ears, Quinn tearing her eyes away from Harry's still form. "We'll get Jay here, and everything will turn out okay." She met her sister's eyes, clenching her jaw. "He's become important to you, hasn't he." Caitlin stated more than asked, making Quinn blink and take a subtle step closer to the gurney. It shouldn't have surprised her, really. No one knew her better than Caitlin. The two of them were literal peas in a pod, even after Quinn had changed. She knew how lucky she was to have her, and knew damn well there was just no hiding anything from her.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked very softly, well aware Patty was still pacing on the other end of the room. Caitlin smiled knowingly.

"Only to me. I know you, remember?" She looked down at Harry, shaking her head lightly. "I have to admit, I was a little surprised at first. After... well, you know." She pressed gently down on the edge of his bandage, making sure the tape was secure. "Of all of us, I thought you'd be the last to accept him. Or even want to be in the same room with him." She looked back at Quinn with a warmth that always settled her. "He's making you... better." She added steadily, as though the idea that Harrison Wells having a profound impact on her damaged older sister didn't bother her in the least.

"He's not like the other Wells. He's... just different." Yeah, because that explained it. She furrowed her brows at her own words. "He makes me feel safe. I don't know why." It really didn't make much sense, actually. A man with his face had cut her open, cracked her sternum, played with her organs all while she was awake. It wasn't exactly something anyone could get over quickly, or at all in her case. But when she looked at Harry, she didn't see the other Harrison Wells. She didn't see Thawne. She just saw a man who was tortured by his own failures and the need to save his daughter. Quinn saw a good heart, a strong mind, a better man than he probably saw in himself. She saw someone who, like her, was just trying to survive an impossible situation, and doing his best not to lose himself in the process. But she couldn't say any of that out loud. She wasn't sure anyone would understand a word of it. They'd all grown fond of Harry in their own ways. Barry had taken to seeing him as a mentor, a better one than the other Wells. Cisco had found an unlikely friend in the older man, their banter offering hours of entertainment under the right circumstances. And Caitlin, in her accepting way, still found reasons to grow attached to him despite Jay's inclination to make Harry out to be some sort of criminal. But none of them, in a million years, would think to see Harry as something more than a colleague, a friend. No one would see him the way she did. And the way she saw him scared her. Because she saw someone that maybe... maybe she could love, maybe could love her. A heavy notion that probably had no standing. But the more the days passed, the more she couldn't help but see him that way. She couldn't help but want him to be more. It was a battle that was raging inside her. Wanting a man who wanted nothing to do with her in that way, not to mention she was still dealing with the damage that Thawne had done to her. She probably always would be. Who in their right mind would want someone as damaged as her? She was a curse no one should have to be saddled with.

"How's he doing?" Joe's voice broke through her thoughts as he came in, moving quickly toward the gurney where Harry still laid, hooked up to machines and bandaged, completely unconscious.

"He's losing oxygen." Caitlin said, but didn't get a chance to explain much more when Joe pointed at Patty and told her to leave. She barely protested before turning away, leaving with a dejected air and a guilty expression. Quinn couldn't really feel sorry for her. Not now, at least. "There's a bullet in a branch of his pulmonary artery that's blocking off most of the blood flow from the left lung."

"Can you heal him?" Joe asked, turning his attention to Quinn. She paused, with her fingers in Harry's hair.

"Not with the bullet in there." She stated. Joe looked back at Caitlin.

"Are we able to get the bullet out?" He asked. And Caitlin shook her head, glancing at Quinn for a moment. 

"Not without causing too much damage. I could kill him. And Quinn can't bring anyone back from that. We need Jay's help." And after that, everything felt like it moved quickly. It was right as Harry started to code that Jay arrived. Panic filled Quinn's entire body. The pulsing ache in her bones wasn't even a reality at that point. The sounds of the monitor chiming an emergency had her wringing her hands, watching Jay.

"How bad is it?" He asked. It was almost strange to see the concern on his face and hear the worry in his voice. He and Harry couldn't stand each other most of the time. They way they treated one another was more like enemies than anything else. But here Jay was, ready and willing to help. It redeemed Jay a little in Quinn's eyes. She'd honestly never really liked Jay, and couldn't have really said why. There was something about him she didn't trust, a tickling at the back of her brain warning her to keep her distance. Which was the exact opposite of everyone else, especially her sister. It was why she'd never brought it up. When Harry showed his dislike for Garrick, she couldn't help but feel like he was voicing the things she didn't dare say. But none of that mattered now. What mattered was whether or not the former speedster could save Harrison Wells. 

"There's a bullet in his pulmonary artery." Caitlin explained as he stopped at her side. Jay looked up at Quinn instantly.

"Can you heal him if I get it?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his tone. Quinn nodded once, the muscles in her jaw working for a split second. 

"Yes." One word, and she pushed all her confidence into it. Healing she could do. Bringing back the dead would never be a reality.

"How are you gonna do that?" Joe asked, watching them all with nearly detached worry. As though he'd had to train himself a long time ago to keep his emotions apart when things got bad. Caitlin moved to a side table, picking up an injection gun with a vial inserted in it. Joe furrowed his brows in confusion. "What is that?"

"It's a serum called Velocity Six. It could give Jay temporary speed." She explained. Quinn stood quietly. It was easy for people to forget she was in the room half the time. She used to be talkative. She could start and hold a conversation with anyone. Cisco used to say she could make friends with the devil if given the opportunity. But after Thawne, well... she chose to settle in silence, to watch and listen, to observe and retain. The others around her had learned to accept that she only spoke now when she really needed to. "He can phase through Dr. Wells' chest and remove the bullet." Caitlin finished.

"Yeah. But I told you, I've no idea what's gonna happen if I use that." Jay said, looking over at Caitlin with a wary gaze.

"It's our only option. If you don't do this, Harry will die." It was Quinn who said it. All eyes on the room turned to look at her, as though they were surprised she'd spoken so firmly and so pressingly. Jay met her gaze, and she watched something harden in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he grabbed the injector from Caitlin and shoved the needle in his arm, pulling the trigger. The two Snow sisters and Joe watched as the serum took hold, electricity sparking in Garrick's eyes. He groaned out momentarily, but then his hand began to vibrate. He phased into Harry's chest, sweat beading on Garrick's brow as a mere moment later, he pulled out a blood riddled bullet.

The monitors began to chime again, but for different reasons. Caitlin turned away, checking Harry's stats. "BP and oxygenation is rising. Blood flow's returning to his lungs." She said, relief flooding her voice. Garrick, staring at the bullet, let out a breath through his nostrils. He almost looked surprised, as though he hadn't actually expected it to work.

"Thank you." Both Caitlin and Quinn said at the same time, looking at one another after and hooking arms momentarily as they let out relieved laughs. A moment later, Jay and Joe left the room and Quinn peeled back the bandage. She didn't hesitate in the least to press her palm over the bullet wound, her veins spreading and the warmth of her healing abilities widening throughout the damage the bullet had done...

* * *

He woke with a soft start. Everything in him felt oddly comfortable, almost like he'd been sitting by a fireplace. Hm. "Doctor Wells," Caitlin's voice broke into his fuzzy consciousness. "You're gonna be okay." He looked at her, blinking lightly, swallowing, getting his wits quickly about him.

"That's good news." He muttered softly. 

"You'll probably feel weak for a little while, though." He heard Quinn say. She was sitting on a stool nearby, his eyes locking on her form. She looked tired, soft dark circles beneath her eyes. She was still wearing that ridiculous sweater, her hands hidden in the sleeves, fingers curled beneath the folds of material. He managed a smile, for her. 

"Weak is better than dead." He said, feeling a strange need to reassure her. He'd been the one who'd been shot, but her comfort seemed to be far more important to him. Her light smile was all the reaction he needed.

"Yes it is." Caitlin said, touching his shoulder momentarily before turning and leaving the room, winking at Quinn on her way out. He watched her leave, his eyes trailing to Jay Garrick. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that Jay had a hand in his miraculous recovery. 

"How you doin, Garrick?" He asked, trying his best to sound friendly. It was strange to think that Jay had helped save his life. How much they couldn't stand each other, everything they disagreed on, it was the last thing Harry ever would have expected. Jay slipped his hands into his pockets, his tone even as he spoke.

"Your serum's out of my system." He nodded, "And I will never take it again." He turned then, heading for the door, seemingly content to just leave it at that. And honestly, Harry should have been, too. But Quinn was in the room. He didn't have to look at her to know she was watching quietly, in that ever present but apart way of hers. It made him want -no, need to do the right thing. 

"Jay." He called out, staring at the ceiling for a moment, then watching as Garrick turned to look back at him. He met his gaze. "Thank you."

Jay nodded, "You can thank me by keeping that Velocity Six away from Barry." And with that, he left. Silence blanketed the room till Harry lifted his hand to touch his chest where he could remember a sharp, instant and terrible pain slamming into him with that bullet. He let his eyes land on Quinn, who was still just sitting there watching him with the most easy look on her face. He knew there were those who would find her pale skin unappealing. Or those who wouldn't be able to look past the grave of silence she was often surrounded in. But when he looked at her, when she was near, he was completely bewitched. It was about time he just came to terms with that fact.

"I need to thank you, too." Harry said tentatively. "But I feel like the words... they aren't enough." He watched a delicate smile play on her lips as she looked down at her hidden hands. Then she stood, moving toward him, sitting on the edge of the gurney, her hip against his thigh. She was warm, even through the blankets. He dropped his hand, and she pulled one of hers out of her sleeve, reaching up to where the bullet wound had been, touching his cool skin with the pads of her fingers. She'd never been terribly physical toward him. Everyone else, sure. Because she knew them, she was comfortable with them. But not him. Of course, not him. And yet, she made a slow, soft line down his chest before taking her hand back, surprising the holy hell out of him.

"Thank you is more than enough." She said, turning her intoxicating stare toward his face. Just looking at him, she had the power to settle everything in him. His thoughts, his emotions, even his body. A calm came over him in her presence he couldn't recall ever having anywhere else. "I'm just glad you're alive." She stood then, as though to leave, and his hand instinctively shot out before he could even think about what he was doing, grabbing onto her sweater just enough to stop her.

"Stay." He found himself saying. Hell, he wasn't even surprised he'd said it. He wasn't surprised at anything she brought out of him anymore. That didn't mean he had the right to demand a damn thing from her. But the plea that was in his voice was instantly mirrored in his eyes, and he couldn't help but hope that she wouldn't pull away. That she would sit with him awhile longer. He was beginning to find a comfort in her he desperately wanted. She glanced at his hand, watching him let go of her sweater. Then she looked past him, out to the main room where Caitlin was talking to Jay. Quinn seemed to be thinking, her brows furrowing a moment. Then she slowly sat back down, pressing her warmth back into his thigh. The relief that single act caused in him was palpable. He should have said something. But 'thank you' was pretty overused at that point. All he could bring himself to do was offer a light smile, watching her eyes roam his features. 

She was studying him, he realized.

The way she took in his runner's figure and the lines of his face, the angle of his jawline and the color in his eyes, she was trying to memorize him. He had to go still, as though he didn't dare distract her. "Talk to me." She said then, and he blinked.

"About... what?" He asked, his gravelly voice confused. She tilted her head slightly, then shook her other hand out of her sweater. With both hands, she pulled one of his own into her lap. He had to look, seeing his larger hand in her smaller, pale ones.

"Tell me about Jesse." She said firmly. His eyes shot up to catch her own. No one had really asked him to talk about Jesse. The most they all knew was that she'd been taken by Zoom or whatever little else he chose to offer up. They hadn't actually asked what sort of person she was, the incredible young lady who was his entire world. He found the confusion on his face turning into an almost quietly happy blank. He cleared his throat a little, his thumb moving to stroke her palm where she held his hand. 

"Okay." And for nearly two hours, while he attempted to get his strength back, she sat there with him. They talked, about Jesse, about who Quinn was before the particle accelerator explosion, about what life was like on Earth-2. Anything and everything that came to their heads. It was ridiculously easy, talking with her like that. And it was the most he'd ever talked to her since they'd met. Shit, it was the most he'd talked to anyone about anything beyond defeating Zoom and fighting metas. When she finally left him, letting him sleep, he found himself laying there in the dark, dim light bathing the shadows from half lit monitors. He felt the loss of her presence, the weight of her side against him. And he missed it. He missed her. Which was interesting, considering she'd just been there. This was all definitely still a problem, but one, he realized, he was starting not to mind.

"What are you doing to me, Quinn Snow?" He whispered to no one, closing his eyes and sighing, letting sleep take him to hopefully any place other than nightmares...


	5. 'I've become distracted by this Earth. By its problems. Its people.'

The garden on the roof was her own little sanctuary. After the accelerator explosion, when she was suddenly plagued by her new abilities, the other Wells had told her to find a hobby to put her negative energy into. Something to turn to that she found soothing. After trying several unsuccessful hobbies, it was Cisco who'd recommended gardening. _'Not that I know anything about it. I killed an air plant once.'_ He'd mused, always in an effort to make her smile. It felt like so long ago. The accelerator explosion had changed a lot of things for a lot of people. It both gave her something, and took something. Powers were great, she could do a lot of good, help a lot of people. But the woman in the mirror was a stranger to her now. The darkness she felt so deep within herself was a massive, caustic thing with a life all its own. And she couldn't always control it. 

So, gardening it was. And over time, she'd created quite the getaway. It was like a small yard of flowers, ferns and bushes that produced berries. There was a water fountain, a cherry blossom tree genetically modified to bloom year round, a few stone benches, a cobblestone path. And then there was her favorite thing of all. A gazebo painted sky blue, set beside the tree, overlooking the vast empty space of the abandoned parking lots around S.T.A.R. Labs. The hours whiling away tending to her own little safe haven had been well worth it. 

Quinn was sitting in the shade of the gazebo, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. There was a faint breeze, playing with the plethora of wind chimes she'd hung up. A veritable chorus of many different tones drowned out the sound of her own heartbeat. And she was glad of it. It was all that was keeping her from shattering. 

He'd lied to them. All of them. He'd stolen some of Barry's speed, given it to Zoom. 

Logically, she understood why. He was trying to save his daughter. Could any of them say they'd have done differently if they'd been in that position? She couldn't be angry at him for that, even if she'd wanted to. But she couldn't get past the simple fact that he'd lied. To her. The hours of them talking, of him giving her his ridiculous attitude and enchanting smiles and well worded explanations, of them randomly confiding in one another, and the day after day of her getting closer and closer to him, and feeling like just maybe he was getting closer to her... had all of that been a lie, too? She squeezed her eyes shut, flattening her forehead to her knees as the memory of his betrayal came back like a boomerang.

_Quinn and Caitlin were sitting behind one of the consoles, going through everything they knew about 'Tar Pit'. Harry was sitting at a low work table, Barry off in his own little world, staring at his suit._ 'Don't worry, we're gonna get him.' _Cisco said, sauntering over to him. Barry snapped out of his momentary blankness._

'I'm sorry, dude. What?' _He asked, looking back at Cisco._

'Tar pit. You shouldn't worry. We're gonna get him. With these.' _Cisco said, motioning to Harry who haphazardly tossed something at Ramon who ducked in to catch it._ 'With these nitrous grenades!' _He scolded Harry, who just smirked and kept doing what he was doing like he hadn't just carelessly tossed an explosive._ 'Each one of these has ten times the concentration of a hot-rod's nitrous tank, and is triggered by extreme heat.' _Cisco kept explaining, that smug look on his face he got when he was excited about new tech they'd come up with._ 'We're talking six hundred fifty degrees, that's the boiling point of asphalt. So one of these puppies makes contact? You got a Tar Pit popsicle for dessert.' 

_Barry nodded idly,_ 'Alright, that's great. Um...' _He wandered past Cisco to where the Snow sisters were sitting, giving them each small glances before turning to talk to Ramon again._ 'Hey, look. I think maybe you were right.' _Quinn picked up on the slight confusion in his voice instantly, casting a glance at her sister._ 'I felt slower tonight. You know, not by much. But enough. Do you think there's something wrong with the suit, maybe?' 

'It's unlikely.' _Harry spoke up, looking over at all of them. He didn't look away till he caught Quinn's gaze. What she saw in his eyes was instantly troubling to her. He was hiding himself. Hiding his thoughts, she could see it. She didn't stop watching him, even after he turned away and Barry and Cisco kept talking about Barry's strange loss of speed. Caitlin piped in, but Quinn was easily drowning them all out. Everything they said, Harry reacted to. Even his micro-expressions were pained, as though it was taking everything in him not to just jump out of his chair and throttle someone. Every muscle in his body looked tense, there was even a tightening around his temples. Quinn couldn't help but slowly stand up. She felt like something was about to happen. She was no psychic, far from it. But she'd studied Harry. She'd taken the time to get to know all the subtle things that made him so different from Thawne. And it was one of those things that was bubbling to the surface, putting Harry through the ringer that moment. His conscience._

'Doctor Wells,' _Barry said, turning his attention to the only person in the room still sitting._ 'You've studied the Speed Force more than anyone. What do you think could have happened?' 

_Wells looked away, going back to his tinkering as he answered._ 'It could be any number of things.' _Quinn made her way around the consoles, hugging her sweater closer around her as she watched Harry, who was doing everything he could not to look at her or anyone. It wasn't till Barry mentioned Iris almost dying that Quinn witnessed Harry's resolve completely crumble._

'I can't lose anyone else.' _Barry said firmly. And Harry? Well, he put down what he was working on, his crystal blue eyes staring momentarily off into the distance._

'You won't.' _He turned to all of them then, standing up._ 'I did it.' 

_And just like that, everything unraveled. One moment, he was the only man she'd dared let herself grow immeasurably close to. And the next? He was confessing, showing them the device he'd made, and being hit by Joe and thrown into the pipeline. All while she just stood there, frozen and quiet and dumbfounded. Even through the yelling and chaos of Joe losing his temper, she barely flinched. She didn't even follow them down to the pipeline. She just stood there like a statue, everything in her screaming, the darkness she'd worked so long and hard to quell boiling up out of control. She was gone and on the roof, still there long after the others came back from stopping Tar Pit._

"Hey." She heard Harry's voice a breath of a moment later. She felt every muscle in her body tense. It wasn't till she heard him sit on the steps near her that she lifted her head very slowly, as though she wasn't quite sure whether or not she was hallucinating it. But there he was. Sitting under her gazebo. Barry had tracked her down and told her what the group had decided, and she'd agreed. But she hadn't been quite ready to deal with Harry just yet. It looked like he wasn't going to let her wait. His hands were hanging over his legs, fingers criss-crossed, his jaw clenching idly as though he were literally chewing on the words he might say. All Quinn could do was stare at him. When he finally looked at her, it took all her will not to bury her face again. "Sorry seems as though it wouldn't be nearly good enough." His voice was a raspy, tired, strained thing. As though all the weight he'd been carrying was finally crushing him. 

"Don't be sorry." She heard herself say. It was almost like she was outside of herself, listening to a recording. She cleared her throat a little, straightening her back a bit. "I understand why you did it. We all do." Which was true. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes, felt the hurt in her own. She couldn't hide her emotions like others could. That was why part of her was certain, completely and utterly sure, that Harry had to know how much he meant to her. Didn't he? "Just..." she tore her gaze away then, "Was it all lies?" It being everything, them, the time they'd put into... whatever it was they had. Her voice was so soft, she wondered if she'd actually said it out loud at all.

"No. Quinn," He turned then, scooting slightly closer to her and pressing his warm palm over her knee. "No." She had to look at him then, her eyes trailing over the features she'd grown to find so much comfort in. "Whatever this is... between us..." He shook his head a little, sighing lightly, his other hand in a fist in his lap as though he were trying to keep the right words from getting away. "It's not a lie. Getting close to you, feeling... needing to know you..." He took in a deep breath and let it out slow, his shoulders slouching slightly with the action. "You're the only bright thing in this place, in this whole damned situation. I never planned on caring so much about anyone. Not for Barry or Cisco or Caitlin. And especially not you." She felt her brows furrow softly, her eyes falling to his hand on her knee. "But once it started, I didn't try to stop it, either. Jesse," he let his hand fall away, pulling her attention back to his face, "She's all I've ever had. When my wife died, I never let myself feel for anyone. I didn't want that pain again. And as the years passed, I truly thought I had lost the capability to feel that close to anyone..."

He ran both hands over his face with a sigh, letting them fall to his lap, staring down at his palms open and face up. "I can't lose Jesse. Doing what I did, all of it, was to get her back. I was wrong. And I will live with the regret of those choices for the rest of my life." He looked at Quinn then, and she could see something in his gaze. So painful, so sorrowful, so... sorry. It made her want to close the distance, to pull him in, to hold him. But she stayed where she was, a rock in her throat and a stinging in her eyes keeping her still. "But, Quinn..." he shook his head softly, "I can't lose you, either. Because you... you gave me back that capability. You. No one else. You've made me a better man. You've enraptured me. And I understand if you can't... if you don't want anything to do with me. I just... I needed you to know."

There was so much he hadn't said. Words that would have detailed so much, in a far better way. But what he'd said might as well have been magic, because she felt her face crumple and tears spill out of her eyes. And before she could stop herself, she had moved into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders like she only ever had once before, burying her face into his neck. And Harry... well, he enfolded her in his own arms. He held her so firmly, so easily, it was like he'd done it a thousand times. All the moments they'd spent together, all the talking and laughing, all the working on projects and sharing meals and just enjoying the strange company they'd found with one another, and they had never felt this close. Physically or otherwise. 

Harry just held her like that, a faint trembling running throughout his body, like he was scared she wasn't actually there. She didn't cry long. She hated crying. It made her feel weaker than she normally did. And sometimes when she cried now, those damn black veins spread like wildfire. Caitlin had said it was a hormonal reaction. Quinn didn't like it, either way. When she pulled gently somewhat away from Harry, she tried to hide her skin's reaction from him. But he suddenly slipped one hand over her cheek, his fingers in her ever chaotic hair. "No, don't." He said firmly, and she swallowed at the look on his face, in his eyes. "You never have to hide from me." He nearly whispered. And what happened then, she couldn't have controlled even if she'd had the ability. Before she could second guess herself, or question what was passing between them, her lips met his in a tentative, trembling press. There was no hesitation in him, just a steadfast surety that had marked nearly everything he had ever done around her. His hand curled around to the back of her head, his other pressing to her lower back. Her own hands held onto his shoulders, the warmth of his mouth destroying any further thoughts she might have had. 

It was so gentle, that first kiss with Harry. Nothing like she would have imagined. He was so careful with her, following her lead, letting her take the wheel. He didn't urge her to give him more. He let her handle that. He could have taken control of the situation, goodness knows he was strong enough. She could feel the control in his hands. But he didn't. He was patient, and perfect. Their lips parted together, the tips of their tongues grazing in a questioning taste of one another. Was this really happening? Her heart was this wild, thunderous thing in her chest. It stampeded in her ears. Her senses were on fire, as though she'd never known something so real and tender. From an outside perspective, it was a short, meek exchange that would be nothing to write home about. But when they pulled apart, eyes trapped in a heart-stopping gaze, it was pretty clear that it had felt like so much more. 

'Everyone to the cortex, yo. We're ready.' Cisco's voice suddenly piped over the intercom, the speaker near the stairwell door crackling lightly, startling them both. They each smiled sheepishly. She could count on one hand the amount of times she'd seen his real smile. 

"You don't have to come." He said then, watching her every second as she pulled back and stood, the veins on her skin receding steadily. He waited till she was out of the gazebo before he followed suit. "Jesse's not your problem. She's not anyone's but mine. I get why Barry is coming. And we need Cisco. But you don-" She stopped, turning to look at him fully and silencing him with one look. A stern, take-no-shit look she'd given him more than once. She reached forward, after he'd quieted himself, and took his warm, strong hand in hers.

"Let's go save your daughter." Quinn said, and then lead him through the garden toward the stairwell without another word. She didn't know what this was between them. She wasn't sure either one of them could put a word to it. It was far too soon for that. But she knew Harry was important to her. More important than anyone had been in a very long time. And if getting his daughter back was what he needed, then that was what she'd help to do. Even if there wasn't this unspoken thing between them, she'd still help. Because that's who she is now. She may never recognize the woman she saw in the mirror. But who she saw was a hero when needed. And Harrison Wells, Harry, needed that from her now...

* * *

_'My last entry on this Earth. We're closing the breaches. All of them. Soon, every portal between this earth and mine will no longer exist. I've become distracted by this Earth. By its problems. Its people. But the one thing I never lost track of was you, Jesse. You were half my conscience. Half my beating heart. And I think... I've finally found the other. You, both of you, are the reason I've made it this far in my fight against Zoom. And now, Jesse, I just need you to hang on, hang on a little bit longer. Because I'm coming to get you. And this time, I'm not coming alone...'_


	6. "And so do I."

Being back on Earth-2 was almost surreal. Things were entirely the same, and worse all at once. Zoom's deeds had only gotten more terrible, more fervent. Harry could only imagine what that meant. But at that point, it didn't matter. He was there to get Jesse back. One way or another. And helping him were quite possibly the last people he'd ever imagined would. Not because they weren't good people. No, the opposite actually. They were far better people than him. They owed him nothing. And despite his perpetual gruff demeanor, the fact that the three of them were there with him meant... well, everything.

And standing there in his office, rolling a glass paperweight in her hands, was Quinn. After the kiss, which had been more than unexpected, just being near her should have been a distraction. But there was something undeniably comforting about her calm, quiet presence. She carried herself like she hadn't just changed his entire existence in a moment. As though this unnamed thing between them was completely acceptable to her, in whatever capacity it held itself. He found himself staring at her, the subtle movements of her fingers, the random wayward strands of her hair framing her soft features as she set the paperweight back onto his desk. Jean clad legs paced slowly, fingertips gliding along the top of his desk as she wandered over to a window and peered out, crossing her arms over her gray sweatshirt covered chest, giving him a perfect view of her profile. There were times when her brilliant blue eyes were dark, deep spheres of ocean, waves of thought that held far more intelligence than most people would ever realize. He knew just how smart she was, how capable. For all her stillness and silence, she was one of the most genius people he'd ever known. And that wasn't even why he was attracted to her. Not really. Her brains were sexy as hell, to be sure. But it was her heart that had hooked him, dragged him, beat his own unwilling fractured heart into submission.

It would have sounded awful, saying it like that out loud. But he'd grown so calloused, so jaded at the idea of becoming affectionately close to someone in that capacity, that it had been an almost literal battle of wills to get him to where he was now. Which was staring at Quinn, completely and irreversibly at her mercy. It should have scared him, should have made him angry, even. But something in him had changed. As though all the damage that had never healed in his heart was finally scarring over. He had this faint notion, this quiet hope, that maybe she was his second chance. This incredible, beautiful, intelligent, strong and unique woman might just be his salvation.

Harry let his eyes slip away from her form, checking his watch again. He had to keep his mind on the game. Quinn wasn't the distraction here, not really. His own head was. Whatever this was between them, they could tackle later. Once he got Jesse back safe and they'd dealt with Zoom. Of course, that wasn't going to happen if Allen didn't get his ass in gear. It had been far too long since he'd taken on his doppleganger's persona and headed to the CCPD to get information on Zoom's whereabouts, since Ramon's goggles weren't working at Earth-2's frequency. "Where is he, where is he?" Harry muttered. Cisco, who was playing around with a touch comp on the other side of the office, shook his head.

"I don't know. I can't find him anywhere." Ramon replied, tapping away at the touch screen. Quinn turned to look at the two men, quietly letting her gaze wander from one to the other. 

"Yeah, well, he better show up soon because he's been gone for hours." Harry groused, tossing his glasses onto his desk. "We only have so many of those left before Zoom needs the speed." Cisco chuckled a little then, shaking his head and looking at Harry.

"You're talking about Barry."

"Yeah." Harry said, turning around and glaring at Ramon.

"Yeah, don't worry about him." He replied, waving a hand idly. "He'll be fine."

Quinn let her hands fall, pacing away from the window toward Harry. "Who'd you think I was talking about?" Wells asked, narrowing his gaze on Cisco.

"I thought you were talking about me."

"You?" Harry stated incredulously.

"Yeah, cause we found Barry's double, so where the hell am I?" Cisco rambled, "You know, I always thought in another life, I was, like, I don't know," Ramon rested his chin on one hand, "Like a really wealthy, famous inventor." Harry practically grimaced after glancing at his watch one more time. Quinn, who was trying hard not to crack a smile at Ramon, gently reached out and placed a still hand on Harry's lower back. "You know, sort of like the Earth-2 Elon Musk. Only with less RBF, obviously." Quinn did smile at that. Harry could usually appreciate Ramon's quirks and humor. But in that moment, his frustration was taking center stage. He stepped away from Quinn's calming touch, moving slightly toward Cisco.

"Well, here's some advice for you. How about spending more time looking for Zoom," his voice began to raise, "And less time worrying about what someone who is not you is doing with their life!" After that, he turned and headed out into the hallway, Cisco rolling his eyes. Quinn stared at the open doorway a moment before moving over to Cisco and placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"You're a dork. But he's right." She said, Cisco looked up at her from where he sat. 

"Yeah, well... I hate that." He practically pouted. Quinn squeezed his shoulders lightly. 

"He's just worried. About Jesse, about Zoom and everything. Give the guy a carrot for now. You can go back to needling him later." Quinn stepped away from him, and he just smirked lightly.

"Aye, aye, Cap'n." Ramon said, giving a mock salute as Quinn headed out into the hall after Harry. 

She found him, leaning with his back against the wall and his legs slightly stretched out, hands shoved deep into his pockets, staring wordlessly at the floor. He could feel her presence fill up the whole space around him, and he had to close his eyes, sighing lightly. He wasn't going to apologize for his temper. Not when every time he closed his eyes or tried to sleep, all he ever saw were images of Jesse being hurt or worse by Zoom. The fact that both Cisco and Barry were obviously wasting precious time they could be using to track Zoom down and get his daughter back only made things worse. Sometimes, Harry hated the way his brain worked.

Wells froze when he felt Quinn's hand on his cheek. Her fingers, so soft and delicate, smoothed over his skin, dipping into his hair. His eyes opened slowly, as though he were worried she might not actually be there. But she was. Looking up at him, her head slightly tilted, brilliant blue eyes searching his own. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Just being there, willing to comfort him, to soothe his inner turmoil, was more than enough. He pulled her into him, hugging her against his frame. Harry nestled his face into the curve of Quinn's neck, her skin warm and smelling like vanilla. He closed his eyes and just breathed her in, reveling in the feel of her hand sliding up and down in slow motions on his back. Her other hand held to his side, fingers gripping him. Nothing in her shook or wavered. She was steady as a rock, holding him together without even trying. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve her. But he wasn't an idiot. Quinn was here, and he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"We're going to get her back. I know it." She soothed faintly, but there was an air of real belief in her voice. It made him let out a shuddered breath before pulling back enough to see her eyes, his hands holding her face, fingers tangled in her hair. 

"Before now," he nearly whispered, "I wouldn't have believed it. I've made so many wrong decisions, made... so many mistakes." He felt her hands smooth up his form, resting palm flat on his chest. But he didn't take his eyes away from hers. "I'm just... I feel like we're so close. Closer than I ever could have gotten on my own. It's making me edgy." Everything in him was struck by the small smile that spread on her lips. It wasn't forced, wasn't anything but a natural progression of expression, pale pink lips turning up at the corners in her enchanting crooked smile that lit up her features as though she were standing beneath a spotlight. Damn. She took his breath away. Without even trying. Wells wasn't the sort of man who believed in magic, but in that moment, he saw magic in her.

"I can't imagine how hard it's been, Harry." Quinn acknowledged. "But you're at the home stretch. And you're not doing it alone anymore. Just... have a little faith in Barry and Cisco. They know what they're doing." He felt his expression soften considerably at her words. He knew he wasn't the poster child for giving people the credit they deserved. "And so do I." She added. Harry barely had time to raise a brow before he felt her move further into him, rising up on her toes. And for the second time, her mouth was on his. 

As far as spiritual experiences went, connecting physically with Quinn like this was right at the top of the list. All frustration, all anger and worry flew right out the window. And all he could focus on was the explosion of sensations her simple act brought about. Where the first kiss they'd shared had been tentative, testing, this was more of an affirmation, this was almost greedy, hungry in a sense. Their mouths moved so naturally, their lips combined in impossibly warm and electric pulses. The more the kiss grew, the more sure they were of each other, the more the taste of her intoxicated him, the more he knew there was no going back. It was amazing, how something as elementary as a kiss could lay out a concrete barrier between who he was and who he wanted to be. When their tongues met, dancing, searching, tasting, no hesitation and no fear, he felt something inside him snap into place. As though a piece of his physical heart had been hanging by a string and suddenly got pushed back into where it actually belonged. It almost hurt, to suddenly feel so overcome with what he knew was love. A word he wasn't sure he knew how to say out loud to anyone but his daughter. 

The kiss slowed, till their lips pulled away, their hearts hammering, foreheads together. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, her fingers curled into the folds of his shirts. He didn't dare say anything. What could he possibly say that would be better than what he'd just experienced? They stayed like that, for a long few moments, in the quiet of that hallway, grazing their lips together in stray kisses until Cisco called out from the office. Then Quinn stepped away from him with that ever lovely smile of hers, taking his hand into her own and leading him like she had once before. As they listened to Cisco ramble on about how he might be able to readjust the frequency dilator in his goggles, Harry was struck with how easy it was to just stand there with his arm around her back, hand resting on her hip as she leaned into his side, completely uncaring of what Ramon might think. And of course, Ramon occasionally tossed amused glances in their direction. Though, to his credit, Cisco didn't say a word. Good. 

Now if only Barry would get his ass back and tell them what he'd found...


	7. "Hurting you, hurts Harrison Wells."

"Killer Frost and Deathstrom." Harry informed, arms crossed, glancing between Barry and Cisco who were sitting at a table in tall chairs. Barry still looked like the one from Earth-2, who was currently locked in a closet. Quinn was sitting on a white couch to Harry's right, watching, her bare feet on the rug. She'd taken her boots and socks off. It was a habit she'd gotten into during the early days of her transformation. It was an almost instinctual need, to feel something real beneath her almost at all times. And no one seemed to mind, or say anything. After all, it wasn't like she had gnarly toes and cracked skin. She took care of herself. Though if anyone said it bothered them, she'd probably stop doing it so much. Her lack of confidence in some things was strange, considering how much confidence she had in most things in her life. 

"You know them?" Barry asked, and Harry just shrugged lightly.

"More importantly, they know you now. They know that you're here." Harry stepped forward, one hand rubbing his forehead in quiet annoyance. Barry almost mirrored him, though his reaction was more of him knowing that it was a heck of a screw up. 

"So Caitlin and Ronnie's doppelgangers are evil? Those are some dope names, though." Ramon mused. Harry turned back toward them, agitation in his voice, seething through every muscle. Quinn let her eyes roam his features, the tight lines and the tug of his lips when he scolded Barry.

"This was supposed to be a surgical mission, Allen. Find Zoom's lair. Rescue Jesse. Get in, get out. Not get involved." He motioned, his hand doing half the talking for him.

"Alright, well... look, I am involved, okay? Joe is in the hospital. They nearly killed him." Barry stood, and Harry moved into him. 

"No, he isn't. Joe West, your Joe West, is alive and safe on your Earth. So is Caitlin," he said, motioning to Quinn for emphasis, "So is Iris. These people, Barry, they're mere reflections. As far as your life is concerned, they don't exist." Harry practically threw his hands up, turning, pacing. "Killer Frost, Deathstorm, they know that you're here. And it's not long before Zoom does, too. And then my daughter's dead. And that's on you." Harry's harsh words fell over everyone. And Quinn couldn't help but feel suddenly out of place. She could see both sides of this argument. She had known Barry long enough to know how he thought. Iris, any version of Iris, was his blindspot. His achilles heel. Just like Jesse was Harry's. And both men were suddenly in a situation where they were basically forcing the other to choose. 

Barry's own frustrations, and Harry's accusation, boiled over. "Jesse still has time, okay?" He urged, "Iris and Joe need me now."

"She is not Iris!" Wells raised his voice. Cisco stood there quietly, subdued by the two suddenly opposing factions before him.

"I have to get back to them." Barry countered, "She is Iris! Okay? She is to me. No matter what Universe I am in, they are my family. I would think by now, you should get how important family is!" Barry accused, motioning almost wildly in Quinn's direction. She raised both brows, Harry's gaze falling on her momentarily. "I'm going, Wells, I have to." And with that, Barry grabbed his doppleganger's glasses and headed for the door. Quinn wasted no time, jolting out of her seat and pushing past both Harry and Cisco, going after him. It seemed like, one way or another, she was always running after the men in her life to help pick up the pieces. 

Quinn caught Barry in the hallway, just before he had a chance to speed off. "Barry, wait. Please..." She begged, curling her hand into his arm. He let out a heavy sigh, eyes going to the ceiling before he stilled himself, looking down at her. "I get it." She said softly, letting her hand fall. "I do. All of this is just... it's crazy. And you don't have to explain to me why you need to do this, because I know you." She watched his gaze sink, his hands slip lazily into his pockets as he sighed through his nostrils. "But this isn't as simple as Iris and Joe. This situation, it's bigger than them. Bigger than you or me, or even Wells and Jesse." He looked at her then, brows furrowing softly. "Do what you need to do. But don't lose track of why we're here. We have to stop Zoom, rescue Jesse, and get the hell out of dodge." She gave him one furtive nod. And his face sobered, his expression softening. He pulled her in for a quick hug, wordlessly holding her. And she let him, hugging him back. Barry was like a brother to her. Just another member of her small, dysfunctional family. He was also one of the few people in the world who really understood what it was like to change after the accelerator explosion happened. When he pulled away, he nodded once at her.

"I'll be back, I promise." And then suddenly, he was gone in a splash of electricity and wind. 

It wasn't until after Earth2's Joe West died that she saw Barry again. Both she and Cisco met him at CCPD after he contacted them. Harry couldn't leave S.T.A.R. Labs, not with Zoom hunting him still. So Quinn and Ramon agreed to help out with Iris, much to Wells' chagrin. She couldn't explain to him that this was just as important as getting Jesse back. Capturing Deathstorm and Killer Frost could get them just that much closer, which was probably the only reason Harry grudgingly agreed to let them go. And her kissing him may have had something to do with the slight ease of his mood. She knew exactly why she'd done it. Because there was this pit in her stomach, a heavy, hot coal soldering its way through her insides, warning her that something bad was waiting around the corner. Though what that was, she had no idea. Whenever it did rear its ugly head, she wanted to be sure that what was passing between herself and Harry was more concrete than it felt. She wanted to know his taste, his smell, his hands. She wanted to burn the feel of him into every pore. Kissing him seemed like the best alternative. All that hunger, all that growing attraction had poured itself in and out of them in a matter of moments, and she knew damn well that if she had the chance, she'd kiss that man forever. How careful he was for, how he held her as though letting her go was simply not an option, it had been heaven. She felt like he was putting her back together, piece by terrible piece, simply by accepting her for who and what she was. And that was... well that was everything. She couldn't dwell on that now, though. They had things to do. People to save. When all was said and done, when Jesse was out of danger, they would definitely have to put a name to this... wonderful, electric, intoxicating thing. 

"Oh, Iris." Cisco said with a smirk, seeing her gear up in the CCPD bullpen as they wandered in. Quinn shook her head, walking at Barry's other side. Iris whipped out a baton in Cisco's direction. 

"Do I know you?" She demanded. Cisco cringed, stopping.

"Does she know me?" He blurted out. "Us, I mean?" He cleared his throat. Barry motioned to either side of him.

"Um, these are my good friends, Cisco Ramon and Quinn S..." he paused, glancing at her, "Smith." Quinn raised a brow at him. Smart, not using her last name. After all, her sister's doppleganger was a murderous ice queen. Iris raised her brows.

"Good friends?" She asked. Barry nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah... Cisco and Quinn work at S.T.A.R. Labs, and they've built a weapon that they believe we can use to neutralize, um, Killer Frost's powers." He explained. Iris instantly reached forward, gripping the case Cisco was holding.

"Great, thanks. I'll take it." She said firmly. Cisco resisted.

"Uh, please, I should really take this." Ramon and Iris played a very short tug of war before she finally relented, giving Barry a confused look.

"Alright. One of my snitches gave me a lead on Killer Frost and Deathstorm's location. We're going to bring them in." She informed, looking from Barry to Quinn momentarily and giving her a once over, like she recognized her but couldn't pin point from where. Quinn just stayed quiet.

"Okay, I'm coming with you, Iris." Barry practically blurted out.

"No, Barry. I just lost my father. I cannot lose my husband, too." She practically scolded him. 

"Alright, well... Cisco and Quinn are the only ones that know how to operate the device." He countered, "So you have to take them." The argument carried on for a few more moments before Iris finally relented. As Iris and her partner headed out, both Cisco and Quinn took Barry aside.

"We've got to be looking for Jesse." Quinn reminded Barry. 

"Are you sure this what you want to be doing?" Cisco added. Barry, in that ever affirmative way of his, nodded easily.

"I am, alright? Right now, I have to help Iris. Just," he grabbed on to each of their shoulders, "Make sure no one else gets hurt." And with that, they were all out the door. The plan was simple enough. The lead Iris' snitch had given was a warehouse near the docks, where apparently Frost and Deathstorm holed up sometimes. It wasn't much to go on, not really. But it was the best they had at the moment. Quinn kept her abilities bubbling just below the surface, the ache tingling into her joints. But she didn't pull it forth just yet. She wasn't too worried about Iris or her partner finding out she was a meta human. It didn't make a difference, either way. But it was one less distraction in the moment. And for now, Quinn needed everyone on their toes. 

The inside of the warehouse was dimly lit, yellow lights cast sickly glows, shadows painting the large area with more darkness than anything else. Iris and her partner kept their guns out, Cisco's neutralizing weapon held out and ready, Quinn's hands open and waiting. The farther in they got, the more each of them were wondering if this was just a wild goose chase. They got their answer when Frost and Deathstorm emerged from the dark. 

"You didn't knock." Killer Frost said, Deathstorm walking side by side with her. "How rude." Quinn felt everything in her go rigid. Seeing her sister... well, not her sister, but still... look like that? It was hard to wrap her head around. Even Frost's voice sounded the same as Caitlin's, an underlying echo beneath the tone that was somehow mystifying and scary at the same time. It made Quinn feel like she was in The Twilight Zone. The closer they got, Frost raised her palm, frosty steam swarming from her skin. "Drop them." She didn't seem to recognize Quinn. Maybe the Caitlin Snow here didn't have a sister? Maybe Quinn had no doppleganger.

Iris and her partner set their guns on the ground. Cisco feigned the idea, slipping the weapon he had into his pocket. "Ronnie..." Quinn heard herself say, curiosity getting the better of her. "Is Martin Stein in there?"

"Oh, I haven't let him out in years. He doesn't talk much anymore." Ronnie replied, Frost laughing softly. 

"You killed my father, you evil bitch." Iris forced out, controlled anger in her tone. Frost barely seemed to care.

"He shouldn't have pal-ed around with a breacher. That's a big no-no, as far as Zoom is concerned." Ronnie said. 

"I can't believe you two work for Zoom." Cisco's voice seethed disgust. Quinn could understand that. It was hard not to look at Deathstorm and Killer Frost without seeing Ronnie and Caitlin. A voice broke out of the shadows then, grabbing their attention.

"No. They work for me." A figure stepped out, a faint blue glow around his eyes. "I work for Zoom." That voice. They knew that voice. Both Quinn and Cisco moved further into the light, side by side, to try to get a better look. 

"Who the hell are you?" Cisco asked, an almost rigid air about him. Uncertainty welled up in Quinn. This wasn't good. The figure stepped into the light, chuckling. Revealing... Cisco? Or at least, Earth-2's version of Cisco. His hair was slightly pulled back and the faint blue glow they'd seen was coming from his goggles, vastly different from Ramon's. 

"Well, that's funny. I was just going to ask you the same thing." He said, terribly amused, pulling his goggles off, dark circles around his eyes. He and Cisco exchanged words. He called himself Reverb. Explained how he'd been watching Ramon. The uneasy feeling in the pit of Quinn's stomach kept growing heavier. She didn't bother trying to hide her veins now. They spread across her skin as she hooked a hand into Ramon's arm. Only Iris did a double take, the other metas in the room not seeming to care about the sudden change. It was about then that Reverb brought up the idea of overthrowing Zoom. As if bad couldn't go to worse. He taunted Ramon with promises of untapped power, until Killer Frost spoke up.

"Are you out of your mind?" She demanded, catching all of their attention once more. "Let's turn them over to Zoom." With that, Reverb advanced on her. 

"Speak to me again like that, and I will shatter your entire nervous system without breaking a sweat." Reverb countered, Frost stepping back toward Deathstorm. "So, Vibe... wanna run Central City? Whataya say?" He asked after putting his goggles back on and turning to Cisco.

"I say," Cisco reached over and gripped Quinn's hand. "Flash save us!" He yelled out. And just like that, Barry sped in, crashing through Killer Frost and Deathstorm. Quinn took the chance it gave to throw her free hand at Reverb, gravity waves slamming into him and sending him spiraling into a wall and onto the ground. Iris took the weapon from Cisco then, ignoring Barry's pleas for her to leave, and fired a few rounds at Frost and Deathstorm. When he saw Frost hurt, holding her arm, Deathstorm flamed, and began throwing fireballs in their direction. Barry sped Iris out of the way, Cisco dodging to the side, Quinn throwing up a gravity wave that acted as a sort of barrier between her and what Deathstorm was throwing. He didn't pause his assault till Barry came back out. 

"Round two." Deathstorm said angrily. Reverb killed Iris's partner without hesitation while Deathstorm, The Flash and Lady Raven went toe to toe. But before she knew what was happening, both she and Barry were thrown like ragdolls. Barry hit a wooden container, while she hit the wall, landing in a heap on the cement floor. Everything hurt. Every nerve was buzzing with an ache she almost recognized. And her head was spinning. She must have hit it on the wall. She barely heard Cisco yell out 'No!' And the next thing she knew, Deathstorm was pelting Barry with fireballs. And Reverb? Well, he'd taken to throwing his energy bursts at her in painful vollies. One after the other. She had no time to compensate or react. Neither did Barry. One after the other, they took the blows. 

"Stop! The both of you!" Frost yelled out, getting off the floor. "Zoom wanted them alive!" But they just kept going. Quinn could feel herself growing numb, her muscles failing her. Every organ in her body protested, her head quaked, she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Hell, she was barely holding on to consciousness, blood pooling out of her nose and ears. She could only imagine how well Barry was faring at this point. And she had no idea what had become of Cisco and Iris. "You know what Zoom will do if you don't obey him!"

Killer Frost didn't have a chance to protest further. Deathstorm's assault was halted by the sudden protrusion of Zoom's hand through his chest. The slick sound of flesh mingled with the sound of his power fizzling, falling to his knees when Zoom pulled his hand out. Frost screamed out. Zoom was suddenly in front of Reverb. "What did I say you should do if you encountered a speedster, or a gravity meta?" His monstrous, hissing voice came out of his mask, stilling Reverb instantly. 

"Leave them unharmed." He replied, breathing heavily, daring to make eye contact. At this point, it was all just sounds to Quinn and Barry. Unconsciousness slipped over them both, dragging them down into a painful darkness. Zoom made quick work of Reverb, killing him. He choked Frost the next moment, but let her live. And then, in a blink, he grabbed both Barry and Quinn's unconscious forms and fled. 

"Barry! Quinn!" Cisco cried out, getting off the ground. Killer Frost crawled to Deathstorm, finding him well and truly dead, fleeing quickly after. Everything had gone so horribly wrong. 

Quinn had the faint recollection of being carried. Of a terrible chill deep in her bones. Of her body attempting to heal the damage Reverb had done. When consciousness finally found its way back to her, it took her a full moment to remember what had happened. Everything was fuzzy. Her body felt bruised, but getting better. The worst of the damage was already well mended. It wasn't till her eyes focused, however, that she realized she wasn't going to get off that easy. Her shoulder hurt like hell, and she was face to face... with Zoom. 

"Lady Raven. I have studied you a great deal." His caustic voice said, slithering around her, chilling her to the bone. He was holding her by the shoulder, pinning her against the wall with one of his claws dug deep into her muscle. "It became clear to me sometime ago that hurting you, like hurting Jesse, also meant... hurting Harrison Wells." He lifted his other hand, a small round device held between his fingertips. It looked about the size of a large marble. "I was prepared to take you, like I took Jesse. But you coming to me? It certainly was a surprise." He rolled the metal ball in his hand, tilting his head, his dark eyes staring her down. She still felt weak, unable to fight against him if she tried. But that didn't mean she wasn't thinking about it. 

"Where's Barry?" She managed to get out, her voice tight, pain surging from her shoulder and making her wince as he pushed her harder into the wall. 

"I wouldn't worry about him. In fact," He lifted her by her shoulder, making her gasp out in pain, gripping his arm with both hands, "If I were you, I would worry more about what I plan to do... to you." He lifted the device then, and his hand began to vibrate. Before she could react any further, his hand went straight into her sternum with the metal ball. Pain was one thing. But this... well, this reminded her so much of what Thawne had done to her. This was beyond pain. When he pulled his hand out, there was no wound. And there was no device. He'd put it... inside of her. He pulled his claw out of her shoulder and let her fall to the hard floor. He hovered above her as she curled in on herself, desperately trying to catch her breath, to make sense of the strange feeling now surrounding her chest. 

"What I placed inside of you is the product of my studies into you." He crouched by her, reaching forward and moving her hair out of her pale, sweat beaded face. "If you use your abilities, even to heal a papercut, the device will release a toxin into your system that not even you can purge. If you try to remove the device, it will quite literally explode, killing not only you but anyone near you. The only way to deactivate it now is if you die. As long as you are alive, you are useless. As long as you are alive, you are a walking, talking time bomb." She raked her eyes up his black form, gritting her teeth. She could already feel something wrong, besides her injuries and the thing he'd put inside her. She rolled her abilities in, consciously tucked them away. And the feeling dissipated slightly. Shit. 

"Why?" She nearly whispered, feeling a wave of nausea flow through her. Zoom suddenly picked her up. And then she was thrown into a cage. A cage with someone else in it. The door slammed shut. 

"Like I said, Lady Raven. Hurting Jesse," he said, looking at the other person in the cage, "Hurting you, hurts Harrison Wells. And that brings me great pleasure." 

Quinn had no time to respond. No time to think about how Zoom knew so much about her, enough to create the thing that now threatened not only her but the person trapped with her. A person, she realized, just before she went out cold, was Jesse.


	8. "You can. And you will."

"You're wasting your time. I used to think I could escape, too, when I first got here. There's no way out." Jesse said, keeping a slight distance from Quinn, watching Barry feel around the edges of the glass cell he was in. Quinn wasn't looking at either of them. She was sitting on the floor, back to the bars, fingers pressed to her sternum. Her shoulder had finally stopped bleeding. She was filthy and bruised, and every move felt like she was being bruised all over again. But her mind wasn't on what had happened to her. She'd told Barry and Jesse what Zoom had done. And while she was stuck in that cage, unable to use her powers, she really couldn't waste time worrying about it. Instead, she motioned to the man in the mask, who had been relentlessly banging repeatedly in his own cell.

"Who's that?" She asked, unable to hide the strain in her voice. Jesse glanced from the masked man to her.

"I don't know. He's been here since Zoom brought me to this place." Jesse sounded so defeated. So tired. Quinn met her gaze. And the young woman shied away from her again after barely a moment. "Look, stop, okay? Just... please stop." She begged the masked man as he continued to tap. 

"Jesse, I think he might be trying to help us." Barry said, narrowing his gaze on the other captive. 

"Nothing is going to help us." Jesse's voice cracked lightly. Quinn recognized her expression. Not that she'd ever seen it on herself, but she was pretty sure that must have been how she'd looked from time to time when Thawne had held her captive. She couldn't go back to that. Not ever. That despair, that hollow lost feeling, that defeat...

"That's not true." Barry said, wavering only when he saw Quinn force herself to her feet. "We're going to get out of here, Jesse. Your Dad's gonna find us. I promise." 

"You sure have a lot of faith in a man who only cares about himself." She countered, a single tear trailing down her filthy cheek. Quinn moved toward her then, her hand falling from her aching chest. She caught Jesse's unsure stare.

"You know... we actually, all of us, thought that at first, too." Quinn offered, shaking her head slightly. Even though they had all come so far with Harry, it really hadn't been that long ago when he was just a stranger with unknown motives, wearing the face of a man they all hated. Getting from point A to point B with him had been... adventurous. She cracked a small smile. Harry was not the man he started out as.

"It's not true." Barry pointedly said. And Quinn nodded. Jesse just shook her head in slight disbelief, letting out a short sigh. 

"Every decision that he's made, every action he's taken since we've met..." Quinn said, reaching up, wiping the tear from Jesse's cheek, and not at all sure why she let her, "It's been to save you." Jesse blinked, brows furrowing lightly, staring at Quinn in a mix of need and confusion. 

"Your dad hasn't given up on you, Jesse." Barry added, "Don't give up on him."

It might seem strange, both Barry and Quinn advocating for the man who'd tried to use them, who'd tried to steal Barry's speed. But now they were face to face with the reason why Harry had done every single thing he'd done. And there was no way in hell they could blame him for it. Hell, Quinn couldn't be mad at Harry even if she'd tried. She'd forgiven him completely probably before anyone else had. There wasn't time to say much more as suddenly Zoom was there, blue lightning crackling as Jesse let out a cry, stepping back into Quinn, instinctively hiding in the older woman's arms. Quinn held her protectively, Jesse's face tucked into her throat, fresh tears streaming down Harry's teenage daughter's cheeks all over again. 

"Believe what you want, but the only reason that you and Lady Raven are still alive is so that I can kill you both in front of your father." He said to Jesse, who tore her eyes away from him and stared up at the woman holding her. Quinn was staring dead eye at Zoom, unwavering, no ounce of fear. Just... anger. This she could handle. This she could do. Stare death in the face and tell it to go fuck itself. "And the only reason Harrison Wells is still alive," Zoom continued, turning his gaze to Barry, "Is to get me your speed. Once he does that, he will die, too." Barry stared Zoom down, just like Quinn had. It took everything in her not to bring forth her abilities. She'd only had a bare taste of the toxin Zoom had told her about. It worked fast, not to kill her but to completely incapacitate her. And she was pretty sure she'd be down for the count before she could even get close to Zoom. Enough of a continuous stream of that toxin, and her organs may not work well after long. Not exactly a comforting thought. 

She could feel Jesse trembling, but the girl didn't let go of her. If Quinn wasn't so angry in that moment, she might have been heart warmed by the simple idea that Jesse was seeking comfort in her, a complete stranger. Zoom gave them each one last glance before speeding away, a gust of stale wind filtering into the cage. Jesse swallowed a sob and just rested her head back against Quinn. "I can't do this anymore." She whispered through her tears. Quinn exchanged painful glances with Barry. 

"Yes you can." Quinn said then, gently pulling Jesse back so she could see her face. Quinn wasn't one to normally just offer up information. It wasn't like she had much to hide. But there were just things that did not come naturally to her. Which was why what she was about to say seemed... well, out of character. Except it wasn't. Helping, protecting, encouraging... that's what she does, isn't it? "Not long ago, I was... kidnapped by someone just as evil and depraved as Zoom. He'd cut me open and experiment on me repeatedly for weeks." Jesse's eyes grew sober, searching Quinn's gaze. "There were definitely moments when I thought... I'd had it. I was done. I wanted it over, even if it meant I just died to make it happen. What Thawne... what he did to me..." Quinn cleared her throat a little, letting her hands fall from Jesse, "There aren't words. He broke my body. But no matter how bad it got, no matter how much I wanted to give up, I knew I couldn't. Because the people that love me the most would never give up on me. I knew they were out there, looking for me. Holding out hope. It was hard for the days and nights not to bleed together, for time to just take on its own sort of torture. But I had to believe they would find me, and... they did." She glanced at Barry, who gave her a small, caring smile. She smiled in return, looking back at Jesse. "Your Dad, our friends, they'll come for us. Which is why you can do this. For as long as it takes, no matter how awful it feels. You can. And you will." 

Quinn felt the shift in Jesse's gaze, from something broken and unsure, to something still broken but oddly determined. It reminded her so much of Harry. Like father, like daughter. "Okay." Jesse said sheepishly, nodding softly. Looking back at Barry, she could see the determination in his gaze. But there was something else, something like fear when he looked down at Quinn's chest, as though he could see what lay beneath her sternum. All those horrifying days under Thawne's torturous hands, and Quinn hadn't let herself lose hope. But this was different somehow. She'd put on the brave face for Barry and Jesse. But as long as she was alive, as long as this thing was inside of her, she was a danger to everyone around her. Someday, she wouldn't be able to hold her abilities at bay anymore. And the toxin in a large enough dose would kill her. Try to take it out, and the device would explode. She was dead either way. And what if something went wrong? What if the device was defective? Explosives of any kind were unpredictable in an environment they weren't made to be sustained in, like a human body for example. And hell, she had no way of even knowing what sort of explosive was compact and isolated enough to be used in a device so small. Not that Zoom was going to tell her, even if she asked.

When they got out of here, not if-she kept reminding herself, she wouldn't be home free. As long as that device was inside of her, she couldn't be what she was. As long as the threat she might blow someone up loomed over her head, she couldn't be who she was. That's why this was different. The torture with Thawne had ended. She'd survived. She'd moved on. But this? 

This would never end, until her heart stopped...


	9. "Zoom did something to her. Something awful."

_'I know you're here, Harrison Wells. And you did not come alone. You can try to hide, but I'm the fastest man alive. I will scour this city, until I hunt you down. And when I do, all of you will feel my wrath...'_

* * *

Ramon convincing Killer Frost to lead them to Zoom's 'lair' at Ascension Cliffs was no small feat, Harry had to give him credit for that. It was an easy enough trek getting there, if he ignored the Barry Allen from Earth-2 complaining every few steps. God, the man was a simpering pain. Of course, half of that notion might have just been due to the sheer fact that Harry was plagued with anger and worry he couldn't rid himself of. Zoom didn't just have his daughter now. He had Barry and... and Quinn. When Cisco had told him what had happened, he felt his heart literally fall to the ground, drag itself through the dirt, and wail in horrifying pain. Much like it had when Jesse had first been taken. The two people he cared about most for, and Zoom had them both. It was a nightmare he wasn't sure there was going to be an end to. But staring up the face of the cliffs, Harry couldn't help but feel he was that much closer. Far closer than he had ever been before.

"Well, well, well." He said, slipping a hand into his pocket, the other holding onto his pulse rifle.

"We're going up there?" The other Allen whined... again. 

"That's where Zoom's lair is." Frost replied.

"A place only a speedster could get to." Wells chimed in, examining the obstacle before them.

"They're like the Cliffs of Insanity." Ramon added, a sour look on his features. "So how do we get up there?"

Not long after that, they were climbing a veritable ice shelf created by Frost. Every slippery step was one step closer to Jesse, to Quinn. He felt a nervous pull in his gut, a tension that had no source. He was scared of the possibilities. That they'd be too late, that Jesse and Quinn and Barry were... no, he couldn't think like that. They were far too close for doubt now. After everything they'd overcome, everything they'd been through, fear wouldn't help. He couldn't stop that pull in his gut, though. Of course, he wanted Barry found and safe. But his whole reason for existing was being kept in this place. Jesse, his daughter. His bright Northern star. The one good thing in his life... till Quinn. The first woman in literal years to break through the titanium steel walls he'd put up around his disaster of a heart. When Cisco had told him that she'd been pummeled by Reverb, when he said that Zoom had taken her, Harry was sure what was left of his heart could be heard dying. It was the exact moment he realized... he was in love with her. It wasn't just an uncontrollable attraction, a need to be near someone who was willing to put up with him. He was well and truly enraptured by her. And the idea that she was gone, that Zoom had her, it tore at him. He never should have let her go with Barry and Cisco. To help Iris. That angered him more than anything. But he couldn't let it. 

He knew she would never blame Barry for his affliction which was more an imperiled need to help Iris no matter what. And knowing now just the depths of what Harry felt for Quinn, he couldn't blame him, either. When Jesse's mother had died, it had destroyed Harry. It turned him inside out, and left him rotting in the sun. The only thing that kept him from becoming an utter monster was his daughter. Then Quinn had to come along and put him back together, painstakingly piecing him toward a whole man once more. He didn't think it ever would be possible. But she did it. With her patience, her small touches, her smiles, her laugh. With her words and subtle actions and ability to tolerate his gruff disposition. She saw straight through his pain and found the light underneath. Light he'd forgotten existed.

'That's...' _She chuckled at him, reaching over and taking the soldering iron out of his hand,_ 'That's not right.' _She grabbed the memory board out of his grip, sliding it across the table to herself. They were sitting opposite each other, working on the innards of her latest project. Quinn was probably the only person he knew that had several different engineering degrees. Electrical, chemical, architectural and geotechnical among them. She could give him a run for his money, that was sure. But that didn't mean he'd make it easy for her. She challenged him, he challenged her right back._

'That's what I was doing.' _He said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child, watching her steady, delicate hands through the lenses of his glasses. She just smiled lightly._

'No. You were butchering it. You don't have a light enough touch.' _She wasn't chastising him, more like stating the obvious. His lack of a light touch wasn't lost on him. And neither was the fact that she seemed to normally not mind it at all. He'd noticed more and more lately how she wouldn't shy away when he touched her shoulders or moved her hair out of her face. Of course, he'd also noticed that needing to touch her, even in small ways, had become habit before he'd even realized he was doing it._ 'There, see?' _She looked up at him, setting the iron back in its cradle and moving the memory board back over to him. But he wasn't looking at the board, he was looking at her. The depths of her eyes instantly held him._

_Despite being thirty, there was a tired age in her stare. As though Thawne had stolen more from her in those weeks of torture than anyone would ever be able to guess. Her body had healed, he knew. He'd been told as much detail as Caitlin, Cisco and Barry dared to offer up. But he knew, each time he looked at her, that there was something inside her that had shattered and had never quite put itself back together. Silence stretched on between them, and he watched a slight shy flush creep up her pale cheeks, her eyes darting down, her hands slipping into the sleeves of that ridiculous sweater of hers, melting away from his stare. He blinked, and shook his head slightly._

'Why do you do that?' _He asked then, a little surprised by how forward he was planning to be. If he wasn't careful, he could chase her right out of the room. But he was so enthralled by this woman, he needed to know more. She glanced back at him, hugging herself, furrowing her brows softly._

'Do... what?' _She asked tentatively, her words quiet and her tone barely above a whisper. He shook his head again, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward, folding his hands on the table._

'Hide.' _He stated, watching her expression._ 'You try to disappear, to fade into the background, until no one notices you anymore. You stay quiet, you don't speak up unless you really have to. You try to be as small and unimposing as possible.' _She blinked at him, swallowing lightly. There was a sudden fear in her eyes, a flash of something painful in the depths of her brilliant blues. But he'd started this line of thought, he couldn't stop now._ 'Why do you do that to yourself?'

 _For what felt like a small eternity, she just stared at him. And it must have been hard for her, because staring dead at anyone she wasn't actively fighting was completely out of character for her. He watched as her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, her jaw clenching. And suddenly, he hated himself. Damn. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He was about to take it all back, to abase himself pathetically and beg for forgiveness when she reached forward and grabbed one of his hands. The cool grip of her fingers silenced anything he might have said. She shook her other hand out of her sleeve, and reached up to her chest, pulling aside the sweater to reveal the bright blue tank top beneath. Quinn tugged it down slightly, revealing more of the plains of her upper chest. Nothing sensual in the act, and really nothing revealing. But his eyes were instantly drawn to the skin there, right over her sternum. A single tear escaped her control as he studied the odd black splash of color. It was almost like an ink blot, shaped like an exploding star. Only her skin was the universe, and the darkness substituted light._ 'It's where the veins spread from.' _She whispered, her voice shaken, her hand holding on to his for dear life._

 _His eyes lifted to hers, and god, the pain there._ 'It never used to bother me. It was... just what it was. But then he... then Thawne...' _She swallowed._ 'Five times he cut my chest open.' _Another tear fell, and another. Wells thought he hated Zoom. And he did. With every fiber of his being. But if Thawne had been alive in that moment, he'd have hunted him down and skinned him alive for ever making her hurt._ 'Every time he got an idea about how my organ might work, he cracked my sternum and rummaged around inside me like he was playing Operation.' _She let her eyes fall, tugging her shirt back up and closing her sweater with one hand, trembling instantly like a chill had run up her spine._ 'He took something from me.' _She wasn't looking at him anymore._ 'I don't know... what he took... but I don't...' _her face crumpled momentarily, shaking fingers going over her lips as a few more tears fell and she squeezed her eyes shut. That was all it took for Harry to stand and make his way around the table. He crouched beside her, looking up at her, taking both of her hands in his own. She looked at him with something he hadn't seen in a very long time. Trust._ 'I don't know who I am anymore.' _She whispered. She slid into his hold, then. Or more like melted. Her arms went around his neck, her body pressing into his as she slipped out of her chair. And he held her. He held her till the trembling stopped, his entire being mute. He needed to say something to her, anything to ease her pain. But what?_

'I know who you are.' _He whispered, oblivious of the fact that she could have pulled away from him at any moment, comfortable just to kneel there holding her, soothing her, keeping her safe. He felt her breath catch at his words. And he continued._ 'You're the brightest light in this world.' _He said,_ 'Full of wonder, intelligence. Kindness.' _He closed his eyes, turning his face toward her hair and taking a deep breath before letting it out slow._ 'You amaze me at every turn, Quinn. You're so much stronger than you know. What you do for people, what you've done for... for me...' _He couldn't say anymore. Words seemed useless. So he just kept holding her. It was all he had to give. And even that would never feel like enough. It wasn't till she timidly pulled back, resting her rear on her bare feet, that he let his arms fall from around her. She tucked her hair behind her ears before meeting his gaze. God, he could drown in her eyes. Nothing else was said. Nothing more passed between them. But her essence seemed to follow him everywhere he went after that._

It was another week after that before they'd shared their first kiss. In mere months, she'd built him back up, rescuing him from himself before he'd realized it. And the closer they continuously got, he could only hope he was doing the same for her. Though now, the rescue was turning into something far more literal than figurative. Finding Jesse and Quinn in the same cage together was so heartwrenching, he couldn't help but let out a small sound of joy as he reached through the bars, his daughter coming straight for him. For the first time in far too long, he kissed Jesse's forehead. Then he wrenched the cage open, the door moving on its gears and up. Jesse practically threw herself into his arms, held back only by the chain that Zoom had attached to her wrist. As he hugged her, relief was almost painful, there was just so much of it. And even more when he looked beyond his daughter to see Quinn. She was a mess. They both were. But they were also both alive. For a brief moment, he peeled himself away from Jesse, reaching a hand out to Quinn. She stepped tentatively toward him, wordlessly meeting his tear rimmed gaze. He slid his hand over her cheek, fingers curling into her hair. Neither one of them said anything as he nodded at her. 

What happened next seemed to happen far too quickly and yet not nearly fast enough. Frost broke Jesse's chain, and Barry finally managed to phase through the carbyne enclosure he'd been kept it. Quinn was quiet. Which in itself was not unusual for her. But there was something about the way Jesse was looking at her that unnerved him. He didn't have a chance to ask any questions before Zoom showed up. And then everything seemed to move far slower than he ever imagined it could. 

"Wait, wait. Hey, hey hey! We're not leaving him." Barry blurted out, pointing to the Man in the Mask. 

"Barry, there's no time." Wells urged, but Quinn caught his arm. 

"He's right. We can't leave him here." She said so firmly, that Harry had to give her a double look. 

"He's not going anywhere. And neither are any of you." Zoom's voice chimed in, the evil speedster appearing before them all in a flurry. Quinn, Harry and Barry stood side by side, Jesse hiding behind him, his pulse rifle aimed straight at Zoom, fear bubbling up into every atom of his being. "Thank you, for bringing them to me." Zoom said to Frost, catching all their attention and the resentful gaze of Cisco. 

"You double crossed us?!" he demanded, his weapon also aimed at Zoom. It was about then that Harry realized Quinn looked... normal. No black veins. She wasn't bringing out her power. Why? Yet another unanswered question. "He killed Ronnie!" Cisco added.

"Guess my heart is as cold as you thought after all." Frost responded quietly. 

"I can't believe you," Cisco scolded her, "Just so you know, you would be very disappointed in you right now!" If it had been a different situation, Harry might have found that funny. 

"Zoom, let them go." Barry demanded, taking a step forward. Harry reached a hand behind him, watching carefully, making sure Jesse was out of harm's way. And then he stepped forward, too.

"All you need is me and Barry." Harry offered himself up. He felt Quinn's hand on his shoulder then, but he didn't budge. He couldn't. If he could trade himself up for her and Jesse, he was sure as hell going to.

"You're right." Zoom said without hesitation. "I may not be able to kill you yet," he lifted a hand and motioned toward Cisco, then to Jesse and Quinn, "But I can kill them." Before Harry could focus on the words, Zoom sped past him, knocking him down, sending Quinn flying into the bars of the cage she'd been held in. Then Zoom grabbed Jesse from behind. His daughter sobbed in fear, and Quinn was still for a long terrible moment. Harry pushed himself up, eyes going wide, fear strangling him momentarily. "I told you I'd kill you in front of your father." Zoom raised one terrible clawed hand toward Jesse. 

"No! NO!" Harry raged out, fear far too strong, rage far too real. His vision went red with it. And he prayed to whatever gods there might be to let him be faster than a speedster for once. But the gods didn't need to answer him. Because suddenly, Zoom was thrown backward by a blast of searing ice. Killer Frost stepped forward, accosting Zoom with a continuous stream of it. Harry scrambled to his feet, grabbing Jesse. Then wordlessly, they both moved for Quinn, who had started to sit up. She looked dazed, breathing hard, holding her chest. He helped her to her feet, pulling her arm around his shoulders. Without even needing to be asked, Jesse grabbed Quinn's other arm. And still, no black veins. She wasn't healing herself. Why?!

"Get out of here." Frost ordered, advancing on Zoom. None of them needed to be told twice after that. Iris and her husband fled, Cisco made one last plea to Frost, Barry promised the masked man that they'd return for him. And then they were all off and running, even Quinn who seemed to gain more ease on her feet as they went. She was battered and hurting, but she was moving. 

They got to S.T.A.R. Labs as quickly as they could, well aware that Zoom wasn't far behind. There was no time to take stock, though they all very much wanted to. Quinn moved away from them all, sinking into the white couch in Harry's office. He couldn't go to her, not yet. The first thing he had to do was get the cuff off of Jesse. Then deal with the knowledge that home wasn't safe anymore. After saying their goodbyes, Iris and the other Barry left, and their Barry went straight for Quinn. They were muttering fervently about something almost immediately, Barry motioning to Quinn's chest. "Dad," Jesse said, catching his attention again after the cuff fell off, watching Jesse motion in Quinn's direction, "Zoom did something to her. Something awful."

He blinked at Jesse. "Someth-" he started, then turned, moving toward Quinn and Barry. "What did he do to you?" He demanded. He didn't mean to sound unkind, and when Quinn looked at him, exhausted and in pain, he could see she knew he was just worried. He crouched before her, a hand resting on one of her knees, his other gripping one of her sides. "Quinn..." But she didn't say anything, she just stared at him, something dull spreading over her typically brilliant eyes. Something like... defeat?

"He put a device in her chest." Barry responded for her, drawing Harry's attention. "She can't use her abilities, or it poisons her. And it can't be taken out, or... it'll..." he cleared his throat, glancing from Harry to Quinn and back again, "It'll explode."

"He said he studied me." Quinn spoke then, nearly a whisper, her hands trembling in her lap. "He knew all about my organ, my abilities. About..." she stole a glance at Jesse, as though she wasn't sure she should even say, "About how close we became." She said once she looked back at Harry. Harry had no qualms about telling every world in the multiverse what he felt for Quinn. And he sure as hell didn't plan on hiding it from his daughter, the only other person alive that meant everything to him. 

"What kind of tech was it?" Cisco said, inching toward them. "Did you get a good look at it? I mean, maybe we can deactivate it somehow." Quinn shook her head. 

"I've never seen anything like it. Small, round, very compact. No obvious tech. Just... a metal sphere." She responded, her 'business' voice peeking through when she spoke about anything to do with science or technology. 

"How do you know it works? Maybe it's just a fake out?" Ramon offered, shrugging softly. She met his gaze. 

"It works. I've felt the toxin." 

Harry had to keep himself from spinning into a rage. He closed his eyes, lowering his head a moment, trying to remember how to breathe like a sane person. The idea that Zoom had hurt Jesse and Quinn was bad enough, but this... this was something else entirely. He knew what Thawne had put Quinn through. And he knew that this was just as bad, a violation all its own. Not to mention a puzzle he didn't have an immediate answer to. He almost flinched, his eyes flying open when he felt Quinn's cool hand on his cheek. "We don't have time to worry about this right now. We have to go." She said, her thumb moving in a single, gentle stroke. "You and Jesse need to get someplace safe." She cracked a sad smile, which made him straighten, unable to tear his eyes away from hers. "Where are you going to go?" He lifted his hand and put it over hers, turning his face to kiss her palm before standing and stepping back. She watched him every inch of the way. Jesse came up to his side, curling her hand into his arm.

"The only place we can." He said, glancing at Jesse, then nodding at Quinn. "With you."


	10. "Lay down and die..."

Jesse was watching Quinn Snow sleep. 

She was having a harder time to adjust than she ever would have admitted out loud. Though mostly because nothing about this was easy for anyone. Caitlin Snow, who Jesse had decided right away she liked, first had to deal with the death of Jay. On top of that obviously painful thing, she also had to deal with the reality that her sister was dying. Despite it all, Caitlin wasn't falling apart. She was hurting. But she was surviving. All of them were, all the people that her Dad had gotten close to while Jesse was Zoom's captive.

There had been more than one moment she'd thought her Dad had forgotten her, had left her to rot in Zoom's clutches. She'd never tell him that. It would only hurt him more than he already had been, more than he still was. She'd carry that regret with her for awhile, like her own personal self-torture device. She deserved that much. Because after she'd found out that they were trapped on Earth-1, she couldn't help the resent that boiled up within her. After everything she'd been through, everything that Zoom had done to her, now she had to lose her home? Her friends? Her family? It seemed easy for her Dad. And why wouldn't it be? He'd made a new family, had new friends now, here on this Earth. It wasn't till she'd overheard Caitlin and Quinn talking that she'd realized how awful that resent actually was. 

_Quinn was sitting on the gurney in the med lab off the Cortex, her legs hanging over the side. There was nothing on her feet, and she was wearing black leggings and a white t-shirt. She was clean now. But her face was covered in purple bruises on one side. Her left eye was bloodshot. There was a gash on her forehead, and a blush of blue and green bruises spreading from beneath the collar of her shirt up to the side of her neck. Jesse couldn't help but think she was really beautiful, despite the damage. She was young, too. Not super young. But younger than anyone she'd thought her Dad would go for. The idea that her Dad had fallen in love with someone while Jesse was wasting away in a madman's cage had upset her at first. But having met Quinn, hearing the other's talk about her, seeing first hand what kind of woman she was, Jesse changed her mind pretty quickly. Quinn was one of the good ones, she'd decided. Probably way out of her Dad's league, too, from the sound of it. So why Harrison Wells?_

_Caitlin was listening to her sister's heartbeat through a stethescope, sighing when she finally pulled it out of her ears._ 'Everything sounds fine. Your blood pressure's a little high. And the device is still leaking toxin.' _She said with a frown, and Quinn cracked a light smile at her. Caitlin sat beside her, tossing the stethescope onto a tray._ 'X-rays, MRI, Cat Scan... none of it is helpful. I have no idea how to get it out of you. No idea how to deactivate it. I...' _She looked down at her hands in her lap._ 'I don't know how to help you, Q.' _She nearly whispered, her tone almost choked as though she were trying not to cry._

_Not a lot of people knew the entirety of Quinn and Snow's story. Their mother had been absentee to the exact definition. And their father hadn't been a part of their lives since they were both little. Quinn was older by two years. And the two girls had grown up literally inseparable, bonded to each other like twins, looking out for and taking care of each other every single day of their lives. Seeing the pain on Caitlin's face, and the calm on Quinn's, made Jesse swallow down a lump in her throat._

'It's okay.' _Quinn sighed lightly, wrapping an arm around Caitlin, who rested her head on Quinn's shoulder without hesitation._ 'Can't win them all, tiger.' _She added. And Caitlin huffed._

'Not funny.' _She said softly, reaching over and grabbing Quinn's free hand, pulling it into her lap. It was a very intimate scene. Two sisters. One on death's door and seemingly okay with it, the other losing hope... losing her sister and best friend. It hadn't been long after they'd returned that they realized the device was leaking a toxin they couldn't identify. Caitlin was doing everything she could to pinpoint it, running every test she could think of. But so far she hadn't had any luck. She was exhausted, barely sleeping, and burning herself out. But Quinn? She was doing everything she could to get Caitlin to stop. To get them all to stop. Quinn was tired. Her body was getting weaker every day. Eventually, her heart would fail from the effects of the poison. If they couldn't get the device out without blowing it up, Quinn was dead. Simple as that._

'You love him, don't you.' _Caitlin said out of the blue, Jesse watching still from out of sight, holding her breath to hear Quinn's answer. She barely blinked, a slow and sad smile spreading on the raven haired woman's normally pale face._ 'Why don't you tell him?'

'He's been through enough. I doubt telling him will make me kicking the proverbial bucket any easier.' _Quinn answered, her voice a strained, tired tone._

'I wish you wouldn't talk like that. We'll figure this out.' _Caitlin said, taking in a deep breath and then letting it out slow._ 'He makes you happy. I know you haven't really had a chance to, ya know... be together.' _Caitlin turned Quinn's hand over, tracing the lines on her palm._ 'But he's good for you. And you're good for him. You can't give up on that, Q. He gives you peace. And you haven't had that in a really long time.' _Quinn sighed then, turning her face and kissing Caitlin gently on the top of her head._

'I'm not. Honest. I'm just... I'm tired, I guess.' _Though what she was tired of or with, she didn't say. She just closed her eyes and sat there with her sister, resting her head on Caitlin's. Jesse swore she recognized that look in Quinn's eyes. A look she herself had seen in her reflection in a broken mirror in Zoom's lair. It was the look of loss and complete and utter defeat. Quinn said she wasn't giving up. The only reason that was true was because... well, Quinn already had. How much had this woman been through? Why was it so easy for her to accept she was dying? It struck Jesse then that it was probably easier than feeling the pain of it. Everyone might be losing her. But she was losing everyone. Death didn't care._

 _Caitlin held on to Quinn's hand like that for a long few minutes before slipping away, getting to her feet and angrily wiping her cheeks._ 'I'm going to run another culture, see if I can't pinpoint the mutated peptides, I might be able to synthesize an antidote.' _Quinn was simply watching her._ 'You should rest. You... you need sleep.' _Caitlin cracked a smile. And though for a moment it seemed like Quinn might protest, she laid down, letting Caitlin pull a sheet and blanket over her. She worked in the med lab for a few minutes, gathering what she needed, then shut off the lights, heading to the Cortex. It was then that Jesse had asked if she could sit with Quinn for awhile._

She slept like a rock, this lady. 

Jesse sat in the chair in the dark beside her stretcher. As the silent, shadowed moments passed by, Jesse felt a growing grief ripple up through her chest, into her eyes, pouring down in her cheeks in quiet tears. Her Dad, who had only ever taken care of her, who had sacrificed everything he had to keep her safe, who had never let himself love anyone since her Mom, who would gladly die for her on the spot, was now losing the first woman he'd loved in years. Really, truly loved. She had no doubt about that. She'd seen them interact, seen how he looked at her, even if it was fleeting. And Quinn? She was great. She was smart and strong, brave and beautiful. All the things Jesse had ever hoped her Dad would find. She let out a soft sob and scooted her chair forward, gripping Quinn's shoulder tightly. "Wake up!" She pleaded, shaking lightly. Quinn woke with a start and then a wince, clutching her chest and forehead with opposite hands for a moment before she blinked up at Jesse. 

"J-Jesse?" She muttered out, eyes heavy lidded and slightly clouded. "Are you alright?" She demanded then, waking up even more and pushing herself to a sitting position, reaching out to move some of Jesse's hair out of her tear filled eyes. "What happened?" Worry filled Quinn's tone, and it was almost too much.

"You can't just give up like this. You can't!" She blurted out, watching Quinn blink at her crying words. "You told me, remember? You said no matter how awful it feels, no matter how long it takes, I could do it. And you were right. I made it... WE made it." She stood up then, pacing away from Quinn, wiping angrily at her tears. "My Dad loves you. They all love you!" she spun on her heel, motioning to Quinn, who simply sat there, quietly letting Jesse rage on. "I know I don't know you, but I want to. You didn't have to help me, but you did. And you didn't have to do all that you did for my Dad, but you did. You can't just... you can't just lay down and die!" She practically yelled.

Jesse wasn't sure exactly what reaction she was hoping for. She knew the reality of the situation. Knew how helpless it all seemed. The odds were well and truly against Quinn in this card game. But the reaction she did get? Well, that confused the snot out of her. Jesse watched Quinn's brows slowly raise, a subtle light taking over the dullness in her eyes. And before Jesse even had the chance to understand the confusion, Quinn ripped the covers off and stood up. "Lay down and die..." she repeated Jesse's words back to her. "That's it." She said. And without another word, she was sprinting out of the cortex, leaving a very stunned and confused Jesse behind.


	11. Chapter 11

"No. Absolutely n-" he shook his head, motioning from Quinn to Caitlin, "This is absolutely insane. You can't be really considering this." He looked back at Quinn, feeling far more emotional than he could put words to, moving into her and gripping her forearms. "No." He added once more for emphasis. But she was looking up at him with those damn brilliant blue eyes, all calm and collected like she hadn't just suggested her sister kill her.

"So, wait..." Cisco said, stepping forward, one hand on his hip, his face scrunched into that expression he made when he was trying to put two and two together. "You want to die, so you can survive?" He stated so simply that Harry had to take in a deep breath, glaring momentarily at the ceiling before letting Quinn go to look at him. "Cause that's just nutty." Cisco said in reply to Harry's foul stare. 

"I know how it sounds." Quinn's gentle voice pushed out, her hand reaching up and resting momentarily on Harry's ribs before she stepped past him and toward the gurney in the med lab. She motioned to the defibrillator beside it. "But it makes sense. It's literally the only thing that does."

"Yeah, how does killing you make sense?" Barry asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry pointed a thumb in Barry's direction as if to say, 'What he said.' 

"Zoom told her the only way to deactivate the device was if Quinn was dead." The younger Snow said, moving to stand beside her sister. "So the standing theory is, if we stop her heart, the device will detect it and shut down. Barry," she said, motioning to the Speedster in the room, "Can phase it out of her. And I can restart her heart."

"And what if you can't?" Harry demanded instantly, pulling his glasses off his face. "That's the one thing you're not considering. What if you can't bring her back?!" He couldn't help but raise his voice a little. Everyone in the room seemed to cringe. Only Jesse came up to him, gripping his arm with both hands. 

"Harry." Quinn said his name, so damned easily. He forced himself to look at her. "I'm dying anyway." She stated so matter-of-factly that he wanted to throw something. Anything. But Jesse held him in place. "The toxin is eventually going to weaken my heart. And there won't be any coming back from that. This," She motioned behind her, "Is my best, only chance." The silence that stretched on then crushed him. He'd lost this fight before it had even begun, he knew that now. She'd made her decision. This conversation was just a courtesy. A terrible, unforgivable courtesy.

"What if the device doesn't deactivate? It's already defective, leaking that poison. What if it explodes while Barry tries to take it out?" Cisco said then, "We know next to nothing about the tech. If it really is a bomb like Zoom said, it'll kill anyone in the room."

"That's why," Quinn tore her eyes away from Harry, "Barry is going to be ready to run." She turned then, grabbing a hand held device off a stand that looked like a calculator but had two nodes on the top. She held it out to Cisco. "This will give at least three seconds notice of any pending explosion within a four foot radius." Cisco took it with a raised brow. "Depending on the circumstance, he'll run the bomb away from anyone and toss it. Or he'll run me off, and toss me."

"Just for the record," Barry said, uncrossing his arms, "This is a terrible plan."

"I thought terrible plans were my thing." Cisco quipped, playing with the buttons on the device she'd handed him. "So I approve."

"You app..." Harry began, his voice a near ragged huff, but he stopped himself. "Everyone leave." He ordered then, his voice far more sure and rigid. "Now." He said far louder, staring directly at Quinn. He knew that she knew he didn't want her to leave. Just the rest of them. Even Jesse, who peeled herself away, knowing far too well that tone. The rest followed suit, Caitlin the last to leave the room. 

"Harry, I-" Quinn began, but he raised a hand in her direction, silencing her with a simple motion. 

"It might be far too soon to say this, but I love you." He proclaimed tightly, not daring to move toward her. "There isn't anything in me that believes for a moment that I deserve you. That you should love me back." He felt his eyes burning, threatening emotion he hated to show. He cleared his throat against it. "I've spent years... languishing in the hell I created for myself." He began to pace, needing to move, to do something more than just stand there under the unreadable gaze of her eyes. "When Tess died, I thought that was it. There would never be anyone who would look past all..." he stopped, motioning randomly at himself, "This." He stole a glance at her. She was barely moving, her lips slightly parted. "Coming here, I didn't count on you existing." He licked his lips, a hand coming up to the back of his head, fingers gripping his own strands for a moment. "I had to lose everything, cross a multiverse..." He let his hand fall, both resting on his hips as he stared at the floor. He wasn't even sure what it was he was trying to say anymore. 

"The moment I met you, I knew you were going to be a problem." Which sounded just fucking awful as he said it out loud, but he didn't take it back. "A problem I don't want to lose." He did look at her then, soaked in her bruised image, her tear rimmed eyes, her suddenly heartaching expression. "I have gotten so very quickly to the point where you are the better part of me. I don't deserve it... I don't deserve you. But dammit, I am going to be an unapologetically selfish bastard. Because I need you." His voice cracked as he closed the distance between them. He reached up, smoothing his thumbs over the tears on her cheeks as a few of his own escaped. He felt and heard the sob escape her throat at his gentle touch, and she moved into him, pressing her forehead directly into his collar bone, her hands practically attaching themselves around his frame, her fingers curling into his shirt below his shoulderblades. 

Her breath was hot against his shirt as he held her back, his hand in her hair, the other on her lower back. Harrison Wells was not poetic, nor was it easy for him to show a myriad of emotions that came so easily to others. Quinn brought out things in him that only Jesse had ever been able to. But it was different. There was a different ferocity to this, a different sort of need to protect. Nothing he could define. But nevertheless real. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, feeling a shudder run through her body. After a moment, she pulled away from him, looking up at him with tear rimmed eyes. "I don't know how to save you. But this... this can't be the way." He was scared. Scared as hell. Just as scared as he had been when Jesse was kidnapped, and then when Quinn was taken, and then when he found out about the device. He hated being scared. But Jesse had told him once that being scared for someone else meant he had a heart after all. She'd always been the smart one. 

"You can't save me, Harry. This is how I save myself." She said, one hand reaching away from him to touch the top of the defibrillator. He followed her movement with his eyes, clenching his jaw tightly. He knew she was right. Their options were pretty nil at this point. And though the idea of this was sketchy at best, it was the only one that might work. His gaze moved back to her when she lifted her hand to his face, her fingers tracing his jawline. "I want to live. I really, really want that." She cracked a hopeful smile. "Because of you." And what he saw in her eyes... shit. He wanted to see her look at him like that for the rest of his life. "When this is over, Harrison Wells, tell me again." She nearly whispered, his brows furrowing in light confusion.

"Tell you what again?" He asked so quietly, watching her raise up on her toes, her hands gripping his shoulders for support. 

"That you love me." She replied, her lips a breath away from his. "Because I love you, too." And then she kissed any response he might have had completely away. 

Twenty minutes later, it was Quinn on a gurney in nothing but her black leggings and a black sports bra, Caitlin at her side with needles of adrenaline on a metal stand waiting to be used. It was Cisco and his monitor, and Barry in his suit waiting to grab the device and run. And it was Harry and Jesse, standing useless and helpless on the other side of the room. Time couldn't seem to go fast enough. His head hurt, his body was tight, he'd had to shove his hands into his pockets to keep them from shaking.

Monsters, metas, bad guys he could fight. Put a pulse rifle in one hand and science in the other and he would have no problem stepping right on the front lines. But in this situation, he was far too wound up and entirely useless. He felt Jesse gripping his shirt from behind, her knuckles against his spine. She hadn't taken her eyes off Quinn the moment the decision was finalized. His daughter looked terrified, and he didn't understand completely why. He swallowed, slipping his hand out of his pocket and curling his arm around her shoulders, tugging her safely into his side. She moved into him without complaint, her other hand moving to grip the front of his shirt, opposite her other. He kissed the top of her head, and he swore he heard her breath catch. "She's going to make it." He said then, his voice only loud enough for her to hear. Jesse looked up at him, brows knitted in worry, her green eyes looking up at him wordlessly. Despite the odd worry she was exuding, she nodded quickly, then looked back at Quinn without letting him go.

A moment later, Caitlin was holding the lubed paddles in her hands. The defibrillator was making that awful charged noise. Quinn was gripping the thin mattress beneath her, knuckles impossibly white. "Do it." She said to Caitlin, so firmly that it almost didn't sound like her. "Now!" She raised her voice, making her sister jump slightly out of her hesitation. And then, bam. Caitlin stuck the puddles in their places on Quinn's body and pushed the buttons. Electricity surged through Quinn's body, her back arching, and then falling back to the mattress when Caitlin pulled away. The monitors connected to the nodes on her chest told them everything they needed to know. Her heart had stopped. 

"Barry, now!" Caitlin blurted. And Barry wasted no more time, his hand vibrating and lowering toward the area on Quinn's sternum that Caitlin had quite literally drawn an X on. They all seemed to be holding their breath as his hand disappeared inside her, the very sight of it cringe worthy and impossible seeming. Only Cisco's eyes moved back and forth, glancing from the device in his hand to Quinn again and again. After what felt like forever, though was really just several seconds, Barry's hand pulled out.

"I think... I've got it." He muttered, beads of sweat spread on his brow. And then there it was, in his gloved hand. Round and metal and tainted with blood, a small crack down one curve where the toxin had to have been leaking from. He glanced at Cisco, who shook his head. No sign that it was about to blow. "I'm getting this out of here." He said, and sped off instantly. Caitlin wasted no time at that point, Harry moving forward with Jesse as Caitlin literally stabbed one of the adrenaline needles right into Quinn's chest. Then she pressed the button on the defibrillator. She paddled her again.

Nothing.

"Come on, Q... don't do this to me..." Caitlin's voice choked out, and she charged the machine again. She was just about to hit Quinn again when Cisco's hand darted out and stopped her.

"No, wait! Look!" He exclaimed, motioning to Quinn's chest. The black starburst began to sprout black veins, which seemed to spread slowly at first along her pale skin. Then the monitor registered a heartbeat, Quinn started breathing and the veins spread like wildfire. All over her bruises, her damaged shoulder, pretty much everywhere due to the toxin in her system. And just like that, every tense, painful and worried bit of Harry dissipated. Caitlin's smile spread wide, a cry leaving her throat as she reached forward and pressed her hand into Quinn's hair. Cisco laughed, throwing his hands up in fists.

"Now that's how we stick it to the man!" Ramon practically yelled, turning in a circle just as Barry fled back into the room, at first looking confused until it dawned on him that Quinn was alive. He grabbed Ramon with a laugh, the two hugging. Harry felt his breath coming short and everything in him feel momentarily weak. Jesse wrapped her arms far more firmly around him, laughing a little. He hugged her back, burying his face into her hair, unable to stop the small sob that escaped his throat. There was so much elation and relief in the room, he could practically breathe it in. 

Quinn was alive. And that meant something for Harry that none of the others probably realized.

It meant Harrison Wells still had hope for a better future... with Quinn Snow at his side. 

* * *

Quinn had been unconscious for hours. But Harry hadn't budged from her side. He'd fallen asleep, holding her hand, his forehead against his arm on the gurney beside her, his hair a tussled mess. Jesse was leaning against the doorframe, watching them. He was exhausted. She hadn't realized just how much till then. Everything he'd been through, the months of Zoom taunting and hurting him, forcing him to betray the people here, then her Dad fighting Zoom, getting her back, and then nearly losing Quinn... it had all taken a silent toll on him. It was easy for her to forget how strong her father was. Like any daughter would, Jesse just viewed Harrison Wells as her father. The smart but ridiculous and overprotective guy she had the honor of being raised by. She knew damn well he was different with her. That the animosity and aggression he often showed the rest of the world had never, nor would ever, be aimed at her. But she had never actually stopped to wonder what had made him that way. Jesse didn't remember what he was like when she was little, before her mother died. Hell, she didn't even remember her mother. Everything she knew about Tess was from what her Dad told her, or from pictures. She hadn't guessed at how much of a different man her father had been because of Tess Wells. But she was seeing it now. With Quinn.

Jesse couldn't blame her father for finally letting himself love someone, even if it had happened while Jesse was held captive by Zoom. She knew the whole story now, and full-heartedly believed that everything he'd done and endured was for Jesse's benefit and no one else's. She knew Quinn and his relationship was just a natural progression neither one of them had any control over. And honestly, Jesse couldn't be happier. All she'd ever wanted, truly, was for her Dad to be happy. And not just around Jesse. But with other people. He'd had to go to an entire other Earth to make it happen. But here he was, watching over the woman he loved, surrounded by people who looked up to him as a mentor and friend, as family. And Jesse couldn't have been more elated about that.

And yet...

There was a sadness in her bones she couldn't shake. Zoom had taken so much from her. Months of her life, and now her home and the only family she'd ever known, except for her Dad. He'd told her to get to know them all, that they were good people here. She didn't have any reason to doubt him. They'd helped save her, after all. And, after everything both she and her Dad had been through, she'd try. For him. But watching her Dad and Quinn, she couldn't help but feel she didn't quite belong here. She wasn't sure she ever would. She knew that if they ever found a way to open the breaches, to get back to Earth-2, she'd be gone in a hot second. But what about Harrison Wells? Could she really do that to him? He'd go with her. He'd leave everyone here, Quinn included, because Jesse was his world and the universe around it. Could she really willingly put him in that position? She knew no amount of convincing would make him stay. It just wasn't who he was. And it broke Jesse's heart to think about it. Except thinking about it was all it would ever be for now. The breaches were closed permanently. Earth-2 was lost. Zoom was trapped there. And she was trapped here. 

It was time to make the most of an impossible situation...


	12. "Say that again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: sexual scenario. Basically, Harry and Quinn finally get in on. Because yes.)

It was quiet, the night air cool on her skin. She was leaning against one of the post beams of the gazebo, small fairy lights she'd put up dimly lit the interior. She should have been sleeping. It was nearly one in the morning. But the last week had been a whirlwind of emotions and adjustment. This was the first night since she'd 'come back from the dead' that she felt like she could breathe again. Really breathe. She let the air fill up her lungs, breathing till her ribs expanded, letting it out slow just to hear the sound. She felt different somehow. More real, more tangible than she had in far too long. And she had absolutely no explanation for it. She turned slightly, leaning her rear on the railing, hands holding the wood to either side of her. 

She was wearing a summer dress, all pale greens and blues, spaghetti straps criss crossing in the back, and pretty much nothing else but underwear. She should have been cold. But she wasn't. Her sweater, the one Harry had called 'perfectly ugly', was set in a folded heap on the gazebo floor, next to the pile of sleeping bags, blankets and pillows she'd made for herself. She and Caitlin had to vacate their apartment for a few days. One of the other apartments had had a fire, and the stench of soot and burnt wood was in everything. The landlord was paying to have the whole building aired out. Caitlin was staying with Cisco. And though he'd offered for Quinn to do the same, she'd decided to take up residence in the garden instead. 

Sleeping outside was strangely nice, anyway. The sound of the chimes randomly swaying lulled her right to sleep with no problem. And, admittedly, spending more time at S.T.A.R. Labs was a great excuse to spend more time with Harry. And Jesse. Despite the declaration of how they really felt about each other, Harry and Quinn had been taking it slow. More for Jesse's sake than anything. Harry had just gotten her back in his life, safe and sound. So there was that, too. Quinn didn't want to get in the way of that. They had a lot to catch up on. And Quinn... well, she wasn't going anywhere. Not anytime soon. All because Jesse had plopped a random and crazy idea in her head. The girl was a godsend, even if she didn't realize it.

Quinn wouldn't say it out loud, wouldn't admit the inner weakness she'd felt before she'd gotten the idea to stop her heart. She'd pretty much given into the idea that she was as good as dead. That the thing in her chest was going to kill her and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. She was ready to just let it happen. Jesse scolding her, crying and angry, in an attempt to get through to her had been surprising. The girl barely knew her. But her passion was influential, to say the least. She'd made Quinn snap out of her momentary grief long enough to simply come up with the craziest idea on the planet. An idea that worked. So... maybe not so crazy. As the days went on after the whole event, she and Quinn talked quite a bit. There was a connection there, a bond that she hadn't quite noticed at first. Jesse confided in her, talked to her about things she didn't dare talk to her dad about. Like what Zoom had put her through. Harry knew the gist. But Jesse couldn't bring herself to tell him in detail. With Quinn, it was different. Because Quinn understood. Her own experiences with Thawne gave her a unique perspective. And Jesse turned to her to help her through the aftermath of Zoom's influence. It was a position that, oddly, Quinn had no trouble being. It gave her purpose beyond being Quinn Snow, scientist, or Lady Raven, reluctant hero. She smiled lightly at that, pushing away from the railing and taking a few steps forward. It was then she saw Harry, standing on the cobblestone path, hands in his black jean pockets, watching her.

For a long, silent stretch, neither one of them said anything. It hadn't even startled her to see him there. In fact, it was almost like it was fitting. His crystal blue eyes lingered on her form, gazing from her feet to her head till he captured her own stare. She couldn't help the blush that reached her cheeks, pink flushing her skin. No one had ever looked at her like that... like she was perfect and stunning and everything she'd never really thought she was. She felt her heartbeat skip a few times. And the urge to hide herself was so hard to fight. 'You never have to hide from me.' He'd told her once. And she wouldn't. She'd fight that need tooth and nail. She would never let herself hide from Harrison Wells.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, one a time sliding the sleeves of his charcoal gray shirt up to his elbows before moving up the gazebo steps to stand in front of her. "You're... up late." She managed to say, realizing how ridiculously sheepish she sounded. Despite having pretty much acknowledged to the multiverse and everything in it that they were madly in love with each other, she couldn't help but feel so much like a school girl under his gaze. She watched his lips part, feeling the warm weight of his hands as they slipped onto her hips, his form moving into hers, forcing her to look up at him. 

"So are you." He countered, his tone huskier than she ever remembered it sounding, his hands pulling her hips into his body. She had to reach out, grab his ribs to keep herself from completely swooning. Which was easier said than done. They hadn't had very many chances to be alone together. The taking it slow thing had kept them from doing much more than kiss each other for dear life when they had the opportunity. Not that she was complaining, she could kiss Harry every waking moment if she had the chance. But looking at him now, the heat in his eyes, the feral emotion, it made her heart stop. He wanted more than just a crashing of excited lips and tongues. Question was... was she ready for that. She was instantly silenced by the idea. She would have thought she'd be afraid at the thought, wary even. But in that moment, and every heartbeat after, there was no fear at all. In fact, she was calm. She was safe. And looking at Harry looking at her, she realized that yes... she was ready for that. With him and no one else. She watched his gaze flick over her head for a moment, an amused turn of his mouth as his gaze narrowed and he looked back at her. "You're really slumming it." He quipped. She smirked lightly.

"Don't knock it till you try it." She responded, feeling almost light headed with unrestrained happiness. "In fact..." she slipped her hands off his sides, stepping back and taking his hands in her own, and she pulled, stepping back more and more, watching his expression change again as she led him toward her makeshift nest. She didn't stop till her bare feet landed on a comforter, and he didn't stop till he was toe to toe with her. He took one of his hands back, slipping it into her hair, smoothing her wayward strands away. 

"Quinn..." He whispered, and she could see he was going to try to be chivalrous. To tell her that they didn't have to. But she used her free hand to grab his shirt.

"Harry, make love to me." She practically hummed. His whole body went still in response, eyes wide, breath coming slow and heavy. He seemed to be having an internal battle with himself. And for a moment, her strange calm faltered. Had she read him wrong? Did he not want to? But then he was nearly lifting her, his mouth was on hers, her hands were curling into his haphazard hair. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips, the taste of his tongue colliding with hers, the eagerness in his hands as he gripped almost roughly at her hips. She felt a fine tremor go up her spine, an instant warmth in her skin as the black veins began to spread in response to the suddenly heady air. Things moved steadily. Hands were everywhere, tempting and searching. They only broke their kiss long enough for her to pull his sweater and shirt up over his head. She took in the sight of his lean figure, his muscular torso. She'd seen this view before, after he'd been shot. But this was different. This was her looking at him, wondering what his skin tasted like, what those muscles would feel like up against her. She didn't have to wait long to figure it out. 

One moment she was standing, and the next he had her on her back in her nest of blankets and sleeping bags. He was so strong. There was a fine, controlled firmness to his hands, his arms, his everything. A tough and durable feel to his whole body. It briefly dawned on her that if he really wanted to, he could probably snap her like a twig. But his hands told her he never would. The way he swept one of them up the side of her body, his mouth tasting her skin in a trail down her neck. She felt her chest heaving, the press of his groin into her own as he settled between her legs. Even with their clothes in the way, she could feel how impossibly hard he was. And it made her gasp out a small sound, her hands gripping his biceps until he lifted his head, staring down at her. 

With one hand, he traced some of the black veins, following them from her collarbone back to the starburst. Watching him, feeling the smooth line his fingers had drawn, made her breath catch. He didn't see an anomaly. He didn't see anything disfiguring. He just saw her. And what he saw, according to the heat still burning in his pupil blown eyes, he definitely wanted. 

He sat her up with one steady hand, the skirt of her dress already hiked up to her hips, making it easy for him to pull it up farther. He kept his eyes on hers, never breaking contact until her dress was completely gone and out of the way. And then he took her all in, laying her back down, his breath hot on her skin. He licked his lips at the sight of her exposed body, eyes following the curves of her breasts, the pertness of her nipples as she breathed, trembling lightly in the cool air. She didn't know what to do with herself under that gaze. Didn't know what to do with her hands or her thoughts or her anything. Luckily, she didn't have to worry about it for long because he was kissing her again. And the passion in that kiss, uncontrolled and wild, completely undid her. He growled into her mouth at the feel of her bare chest against his. He pulled his mouth from hers, his lips making a determined way down her neck, over her collarbone, until his tongue and lips found access to her left breast. She closed her eyes, gasping, a hand curling into his hair. She couldn't help but breathe faster.

Every sensation was exhilarating. It had been so long, far too long, since she'd been intimate with anyone. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed it until now. And knowing that Harry hadn't been with anyone for far longer only served to make her feel beyond privileged. Had he missed this closeness, this crash of feelings and emotions, as much as she had? She felt him switch to her other breast, a soft moan escaping her trembling lips, his mouth working expertly at the hardness of her nipple, one of his hands cupping her now free breast and massaging as though he'd done this a million times over. 

Everything inside of her was growing tight and wound, her panties growing damp the more he teased her, the more he tasted her skin. She didn't want to rush this, but part of her wanted him to just take her and use her up. To spend her, to spend himself, until neither one of them could create coherent sentences. She wanted him, she wanted this. And she was in no way going to fight it. When he'd finished with her now wonderfully aching breasts, he made his way back to her, their mouths finding one another so naturally. But the kiss was slower, and eventually he pulled away long enough to stare at her again. "We don't have to do this." His voice was so gruff with unused need, it made things in lower places of her body twitch in response. Was he seriously going to give her an out now? After all that? 

"I want this." She whispered. "I want you. Please, please, please..." She whispered, need a caged beast in her throat. She kissed him again, feeling him melt into her encouragement. She gripped one of his hands, moving it lower, till he got the idea that she wanted her panties off and his pants off. Now. 

Moments later, they were both completely naked. He was pressed so firmly against her, his dick so warm and hard, sliding back and forth between the folds of her far too wet and aching nethers. He was holding himself up above her, positioned perfectly between her spread legs. She was practically twitching like a crazy person, the more and more he teased her. Her breath was almost verging on hyperventilating. And she could tell he was enjoying it, watching her writhe beneath him with every swipe. He hadn't even entered her yet, and she was a mess. She cracked a shaking smile at him. "You're so mean..." she heaved out, her hands gripping his steady forearms. His own smile was possessive, a primal and very masculine thing. 

"Damn right I am." He responded, the coarseness in his voice sending a shiver over every inch of her exposed skin. She shook her head a little at him, a small laugh escaping her throat. 

"You just can't tease me all ni-" she continued, but was instantly cut off at the feel of his tip sliding in between the folds, pushing in just enough to shut her up entirely. Her eyes went wide, her mouth making a small 'o' shape as she felt the girth of him slowly push in. So much control, so much of him. He could have just pushed himself in with one fell swoop, but he took his time, letting her get used to his size, to the feel of him inside her. By the time he was completely sheathed within her, her head had fallen completely back, neck exposed in a curve, eyes closed in near ecstasy. "H-Harry..." she stammered his name. 

"Say that again." He almost demanded, his muscles tense. She opened her eyes, catching his gaze. Before she'd known him, that look would have scared her. It would have subdued her more than she'd already been. But seeing it now, the look of complete and utter ownership of her pleasure, it steeled something inside of her. She wanted to be his. Like she wanted him to be hers. This moment was all theirs. And she wasn't going to waste it. 

"Harry." She breathed out, no hesitation, no second guessing. And he moved.

* * *

His name on her lips like that, albeit his nickname, was toxic. It brought about all sorts of ideas, notions of what he could make her feel, what she might let him do. Nothing perverse or painful, god no. But pleasure, for her. Anything to make her look at him like that, sound like that. And how she felt around him? It had been far too long for him. It surprised Harry how much control he actually had right then. The compulsion to just use her up and call it good should have been prominent. But it wasn't. It didn't even exist. His whole groin ached with need. But he'd make this last forever just to keep hearing the noises he was eliciting from her, to keep witnessing the way her body reacted to his every touch and every move.

Not to mention she felt just too goddamn good. She was tight, so perfectly warm and wet. She almost didn't seem real. It wasn't long till the rhythm he'd found had him making sounds of his own. He wanted more, better access. And he shifted all his weight on one arm, hooking his then free hand under one of her legs, hoisting it over his shoulder. The result was a depth that took his breath away, a hiss escaping through his teeth as she cried out the moment he buried himself inside of her. Her nails dug into his hip, his arm. He could tell she was trying not to dig in too hard, but honestly he wouldn't have minded a bit. He began to move again, working back toward the rhythm he'd had before. It didn't take him long to realize she was reacting differently. She'd completely lost the ability to relax. Her whole body was growing steadily more taunt, as though she were a rubber band being pulled steadily tighter, nearing her snapping point. This angle wasn't just good for him, it seemed. It was giving him access to her g-spot, apparently. He was sure as hell going to make a note of that for later. It wasn't long till she let out a heavy cry, her legs seizing around him, her nails digging in more against her will. Her whole body arched against him, and he had to smile. Watching her orgasm was beyond sexy. Knowing he'd done that to her was motivating. 

They'd been taking things so slow up until now. He'd been spending as much time as he could with Jesse. His daughter was having a hard time adjusting, and he couldn't blame her for that. Zoom had taken far too much from her for it to be easy. And Harry wanted nothing more than to help her through it. But he was at a loss, most times, how to do that. Which was why he found it oddly comforting to know that Quinn could. Had it been anyone else consoling his daughter instead of him, he might have been jealous. Stupid, yes. But he was her father, he should have known how to take the pain away. Still, Quinn's ability to talk Jesse through the worst of it warmed him. It made him feel like this, all of this, might just work. Hope was the word he kept coming back to. Quinn gave him hope. Hell, she gave him far more than that. She loved him despite every reason she shouldn't. And he was holding on to that for dear life. The quiet moments with her, the rare times they could be alone, he milked for all it was worth. He hadn't even really dared let himself think about taking it much farther, not really. Not until he saw her standing there in that simple dress, underneath small pale lights, surrounded by the night. She'd taken his breath away. And the sudden need she'd brought forth just by looking at him had filled his head with all the things he had yet to muse over. It completely surprised him, however, when she initiated all this. She wanted him? Shit. She wanted him. And nothing could have made his heart explode more than that had. 

Once her body came back under her control, he felt his own discipline failing him. The tension in his groin was becoming almost painful. Her hands smoothing down his chest now barely grabbed his attention. He tried to fight it, but there was a point where the body had its own plans. And before he could stop it, he was letting her leg fall and his hips moved much quicker. Once, twice, and he felt himself let loose, pulsing inside of her as his breath literally strangled in his chest, the painful pleasure of it wracking through him over and over. It had definitely been far, far too long. When it was over, his groin still twitching, his dick still completely sheathed inside of her, he hung his head, desperately trying to get his breathing under control. In that moment, he knew there wasn't anyone else he could ever imagine doing this with. Ever. He wanted her. She wanted him. And that was that. 

He felt her warm hands slide up his arms, her legs still twitching slightly against him as her body began to relax completely. Her palms smoothed over his shoulders, her fingers coming up behind his head into his hair. He let himself lower onto one elbow, lining his frame up with hers. She pulled his face softly toward hers, their lips meeting in a warm and wasted kiss that was slow and sensual, filled with emotion and the aftermath of what they'd just done. When their mouths separated, he let himself slowly slide out of her, and then he flopped over onto his back, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slow as he stared up at the gazebo's vaulted ceiling. She almost whimpered, a slightly adorable sound, at the sudden loss of his body on hers. He cracked a little smile before turning his gaze to her. He watched her stretch, let his eyes attempt to memorize the patterns the black veins made on her flesh. It was oddly sensual, the way they were painted across her skin, curving around her breasts, raining down her sides, even stretching into lower places. He had to admit, he really rather liked the view. 

Once she relaxed again, she turned into him, sliding into his hold. He curled his arm around her back, her head on his chest, her hand sliding over his ribs. One of her legs bent and draped over his thighs, and she sighed. A heavy, content sound. He began to trace slow, easy lines up and down her spine. "I love you, Quinn." He said. And he could almost feel her smile before she pressed her lips to his chest before settling again. 

"I love you, too, Harry." She replied, a content tiredness in her voice. With his free hand, he rifled around for one of her blankets, pulling it up over their spent forms, not bothering to think about cleaning up. They could deal with that later. For the first time in a long time, he felt tired. Well and truly, gratifyingly tired. And he could tell she felt the same. Because mere moments later, her breathing was steady and heavy all at once. Her body was completely relaxed against his. Warm and cuddly. That would be how he would have described her in that moment. He turned his face toward hers, stealing a glimpse of her peaceful features, watching the veins begin to recoil back to their origin. He kissed her sweat damp forehead before letting himself relax, the slow lines his hand was making on her back slowing to a halt as sleep filled him up. 

And for the first time in far too long, he knew he wouldn't have nightmares. For the first time in literal years, he felt something he hadn't known he could anymore.

Whole.

He felt whole.

And that was the last thing he thought before he was well and truly asleep...


	13. "You're not blind, Harry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: More Quinn and Harry 'happy naked time.' Don't worry. Angst is never far.

Cinnamon and coffee. 

That's what she smelled. It made her blink against the round purple pillow she'd pretty much buried her face into, lifting her head slowly to be greeted by the growing morning. The sun had barely breached the horizon yet. It painted the sky with hues of red and orange, purples and pinks tangled through paint brushed clouds. The temperature was cool. Enough so for her to realize that the warmth she'd been tucked up against the last several hours wasn't there. She blinked in confusion, rolling off her stomach and onto her side, tucking the comforter with her against her chest.

Harry was sitting against the railing, just his black jeans on, legs outstretched lazily, a cup of coffee in his hands, watching her. His hair was even more of a delightful mess than it usually was. His expression was almost serene, his crystal blue eyes a touch darker than they usually were. Quinn had to smile at him, feeling the uncontrollable stretch of her lips as he looked her over. She felt a soft heat in her cheeks, a blush against the idea that even though he'd literally seen all there was to see of her, he still found the view pleasing. When his eyes finally came back to hers, he motioned lightly near her.

There was another mug of coffee, steaming, sitting near her blanket pile. That's what she'd smelled. He'd put cinnamon in it, just like she liked it.

She got up into a sitting position, the comforter tangled all around her, before she picked it up. As she held it in her hands, up to her nose, breathing in the deliciously dark smell, her smile got bigger. He'd made them coffee. He'd gone down into the kitchen, just off the offices, in bare feet and nothing else but his black jeans. And made them coffee. She couldn't have said why this tickled her. Maybe because anyone could have seen him like that. Then again, the sun was barely up. Which meant no one else was back yet. Besides Jesse, Harry and Quinn were the only ones here.

"That smile." He almost marveled, pulling her eyes away from the swirls of cinnamon in her cup, "What's it for?" He asked. And she lowered the mug, shrugging one bare shoulder, lifting a hand to run through her severely tangled hair. She'd need to brush the crap out of it later. 

"You." She practically purred. God, she felt strange. A good kind of strange. Invincible and vulnerable all at once. What they'd done just mere hours before had been like physical heaven for her. Which may have had something to do with it. Though it wasn't just that, it was Harry. Just Harry. He'd somehow managed to reach inside her, touch all the darkness she had to offer, and still found something about it that was more like a gift than a curse. 

"Me." He stated, setting his cup aside. She watched him stand, his long, tall form in view. She knew now the real strength in his runner's physique, the lean muscles and firm hands he'd used to pretty much send her reeling into ecstasy. Just thinking about it made another heated blush take over her pale cheeks. She looked up at his face, tearing her eyes away from his chest. She watched a knowing, confident smile touch his features. Damn. Could he read her mind? He moved then, and settled behind her, his legs stretching out to either side of her form, arms wrapping her up like another blanket. She pressed her back to his chest, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder. "Apparently, I had an impact." He had a hell of a hold on her, and it wasn't even physical. Just being held like that was heaven itself. He didn't even know his power when it came to her. Did she have that sort of power over him?

"You could say that." She chuckled softly, lifting her coffee to her lips and taking a long, slow sip. She let the hot, perfect liquid slip down her throat, a small sigh escaping right afterward. "Thank you, for the coffee." She said, her other hand across his arm, stroking the short black hairs on his forearm. She gazed out at the view the sky was offering, feeling all at once happy. Part of her wondered if she was dreaming, if everything that had happened between them was just one long hallucination. But he was there. He really was. She could feel his warmth all around her. Not to mention a welcome ache between her legs to remind her that they really had taken things to the sort of level that couldn't be turned back from. 

"We should talk about earlier." He remarked, somewhat out of the blue. She felt his head shift, his stubble dabbled chin gliding along her skin and giving her goosebumps before he pressed his lips to her shoulder. The way he'd said it, and the affectionate kiss after, didn't make it sound bad. But she went inwardly still. She turned the mug in her hand setting it slowly onto the floorboards. "We didn't use protection." He added then, his breath hot against her neck. And that was not at all what she'd been expecting. She let out a laugh, or more like burst one out, startling him. His arms tightened around her, his head lifting. "Why is that funny?" He asked in that ever serious tone of his. She knew in his mind that it had probably been irresponsible. Foolish, even, forgetting such an important detail. But it also hadn't exactly been a planned rendezvous, either. 

"God," she managed, once she'd composed herself, "I thought you were going to go somewhere else with that." She shook her head a little before relaxing completely into him. "It's okay, Harry. The particle accelerator explosion sterilized me. I can't get pregnant." His arms loosened a little, and she felt him take in a deep breath, letting it out slow. 

"I'm sorry, Quinn." He whispered against her temple, pressing his lips there firmly. "Truly." He added. And she knew he wasn't lying. Honestly, it didn't bother her anymore. She had never been with anyone she'd ever wanted kids with. And after the option was taken from her, she'd simply learned to live with the fact that it would never be something she'd need to think about. But him being sorry for her loss was... well, it was touching. "Are you..." he began, then cleared his throat. He paused, and she could tell that he was either trying to figure out the right words or was simply deciding whether or not to say them. She felt him nod to himself, as if in affirmation. "Are you happy, Quinn? With me?" He flat out asked. And her jaw nearly dropped. She turned slightly in his arms to look at his face, his serious and ridiculously handsome, goddamn perfect face. His eyes met hers, his brows furrowing. "I'm not exactly young." He offered up, and she could have slapped him. She gave him the most incredulous look she could manage. "What?" He demanded, his brows furrowing even deeper. 

"You're the stupidest smart man I've ever met." She told him sternly. 

"What does that mean?" He muttered at her. Quinn narrowed her gaze on him.

"It means, yes. I'm quite happy, thank you." And to make sure he knew it, she kissed him. Soundly. The taste of his coffee and hers on both their tongues was a delicious surprise, their lips moving together like it was at once the first and thousandth time they'd kissed like that. She felt the comforter slip down her form as his arms tightened around her, one of her hands tangling into the back of his hair. If they kept kissing like that, they'd forget how to breathe. When it finally ended, they were both slightly breathless. "Believe me?" She mumbled against his now delightfully swollen lips with her own. 

"Obviously." He breathed out huskily, but a smile greeted her shortly after. 

"Were you really worried about that?" She asked, pulling away just enough to see all his features. She watched his eyes dip down to her chest almost instantly. Again she blushed. He had that affect on her. 

"Not worried. Curious, perhaps." He said, shifting her in between his legs with those strong hands of his, settling her so she was once again with her back to his chest. "Relax yourself." He told her. She smirked lightly.

"Why?" She asked, moving to reach for the comforter and pull it back up, but he stopped her. 

"Just do it, woman." He nearly growled out. And it sent shivers up her spine. The good kind of shivers. The kind only he'd ever given her. She wasn't about to ask twice, or be told twice. She relaxed against him, her head against his shoulder. She felt him rest his cheek against her forehead.

"What are you about, Harrison Wells?" She asked softly.

"At the moment?" His raspy tone nearly whispered, his hand reaching up and calloused fingers grazing over the starburst on her sternum. "Pleasing you." She felt those fingers begin to move in a slow, damn near toxic line down her body, toward where the comforter rounded her waist in a heap. It dawned on her far too quickly what he had planned, and the sudden anticipation made her catch her breath. She could feel the warmth in her skin, the telltale tremble of her black veins starting to spread in branches. He let out a breath at the sight of it, and out of the corner of her eye she saw him smile.

"You don't have to, Harry." She said, not even entirely sure why she'd say it. Was she out of her mind? But his hand kept going, diving below the folds of the comforter and out of sight. But still felt. Oh, very felt.

"You're sitting here naked in my arms. It would be a wasted opportunity on my part." He explained, as though he were talking about something scientific or the weather or both. A moment later, his fingers dipped beyond the patch of black hair above her vagina, gliding easily into the smooth and rapidly growing damp folds. Her thighs twitched in response, a soft gasp escaping her throat as he dipped two fingers inside her, sliding in and out in tempting and enticing strokes. At this point, the black veins were pretty much all over. To an outside observer, they'd look like an intricate, painstakingly done tattoo that left nearly no body part untouched. But the way Harry's other hand started tracing the branches, it made her feel like they were more like a piece of artwork that belonged in a museum. He treated her like a treasure. And it sent a shudder up and down her body in quick succession. 

She could feel her breath going heavy, deep as his fingers finally moved out of her and glided back, slick with her wetness, searching in her folds for something. And when he found what he was looking for, she practically arched against him. He wasted no time, figuring out the right way to tease that sensitive nub. Though sensitive was almost an understatement. Before Harry, it had been so damn long that she'd forgotten just how hypersensitive she actually was. And there was something incredibly sexy and appealing about a man who was willing to just please a woman because he could. No expectations. No need to explain why. He just did it. And that was more than enough to make her want him all over again. 

It wasn't long before she was just a mess. She was trying so hard not to writhe like she was being electrocuted. Her breath was coming out in heavy pants, small moans and whispered pleas of 'Harry' kept filling the air. Her hands were gripping his legs to either side of her, needing something to hold on to, to keep her steady. Which he was doing in his own way. His free hand had flattened over her lean stomach, holding her firmly against him. "I've got you." He whispered into her ear, shivers slamming through her skin. When she finally came, it felt like she was the ocean. Wave after wave, rolling endlessly, till she was shivering in his arms. He held her through it, a constant and comforting presence, safety in his strength and gentleness. 

The high was... well, it was high. Amazingly so. She didn't want to move. No one could pay her to do so, dammit. Her muscles were just these happy, sated lumps. And she wasn't about to coax them into working. "I take it that worked for you." He said smugly.

"I could smack you." She muttered, eyes still closed. He chuckled. She loved that sound. Loved his laugh, the warmth that radiated from him endlessly, the smell of his aftershave mingling with the smell of his sweat and the hours of working with mechanical things, the callouses in his hands, the scar on his back, the strength in his body. She loved his seriousness, the unwavering intelligence, the need for perfection that drove him. She loved his inability to give up, on anything or anyone. She loved his silent courage, played off as just doing what needed to be done. She loved his control. And she loved his frailty. Yes, frailty. There was a soft part of him, hidden beneath layers of gruff exterior, that was tender and loving and gentle. And she loved it. She loved him. All of him, inside and out. He was impossible, stubborn, probably the most frustrating man she'd ever known. And she wouldn't want him any other way. 

"At the moment, I doubt it." He pulled her out of her thoughts and loosened his hold on her a bit, "I doubt you could do much right now." She could hear the smile in his voice. And it warmed her. But something mischievous pricked up in her spirit. And she made herself straighten, turning in his hold. 

"Want to bet?" She grinned at him, and his brow raised. He might have had his ideas of what to do with a naked Quinn. But now she had some ideas of her own. And she rose up on her knees, the blankets falling completely. And she pushed him back, crawling over him a moment later. She felt his hands slide up her bare thighs, fingers grazing over her rear, before his palms gripped her hips.

"What are you doing?" He said, looking up at her. She let her hair cascade to one side, lowering her face toward his ever serious one.

"You're not blind, Harry." She chided, "Figure it out." 

And he did. Very quickly.

They spent a good hour rolling in that blanket nest of hers, though this time was a much more thorough romp than their first. She spent a good amount of time memorizing his body, the different places she could touch or kiss to make him squirm. She tested out the waters of how he liked being gone down on, enjoying that she could make him moan and tense like he could do to her. They tested limits, and made no attempt to be quiet. She quickly learned he liked it when she was loud, which was good because his administrations made it far too hard to be quiet. She'd learned that her saying his name motivated the ever loving hell out of him. And he'd learned that she was not as shy in bed as she was in most aspects of her life. With him, she could be herself. She wasn't afraid to be seen, to be touched, to be studied like a map of the stars. She could be wanting and giving, a woman with desires who had no qualms about meeting his. 

She was also learning that Harrison Wells could be aggressive. 

For all he was careful not to hurt her, he had these moments where he needed to be rougher around the edges. It was so much a part of his nature that it made sense it would happen during sex. And oddly, she didn't mind. Not in the least. She was quickly discovering she liked it. How take control he could be, how gruff his hands could feel. Not once, though, did she ever feel unsafe in those moments. Quinn knew damn well Harry would never hurt her. He'd never force her to do anything. And though they'd barely begun to learn what it was to really be this intimate with each other, she completely believed she was safer with him than she ever would be with anyone else. 

By the time they were done, the coffee was cold.

Her cup had actually spilled over, though neither one of them had cared at the time. 

He put on jeans. She put on her dress, and nothing else. He carried his boots and the rest of his clothes with him in a bundle, holding her hand as he lead her downstairs into the building, toward the showers. They both looked like they'd done exactly what they'd done. And though their relationship was no secret, explaining the image of their well sated selves was not a conversation she wanted to have with anyone. Some things were personal, after all. 

Showering was a rather fun experience. Once she was off her high, her veins completely retreated, and with that disastrously gracious ache in her groin, she had the misfortune of Harry figuring out she was ticklish. The showers in the locker room of S.T.A.R. Labs were wide, square things cordoned off only by curtains. They could have taken separate showers, but it didn't even seem to cross their minds. They just grabbed what they needed and showered together. Which she was loving up until the point he elbowed her accidentally in the ribs and made her squeal. Then it was a good five minutes of him expertly trying to figure out where else she might be ticklish. The man was methodical, even when he was having a good time. 

Eventually, they managed to get each other washed, dried and dressed. But there was a comfort to being near him now that made her want to always being touching him in one way or another. Whether holding hands, or hugging, or just leaning into his warmth, she stole his touch every chance she got. And to her delight, he didn't try to pull away or deny her. 

Because of that, what they'd spend the early hours doing was no secret at all, apparently. The day went on in the labs with Cisco not so sneakily laying out innuendos. Caitlin would give them a warm smile every chance she got. Barry, when he wasn't zooming in and out, grinned at them like an idiot. Jesse was even in a really great mood, taking a moment to nearly hug Quinn to death for no particular reason at all. For probably the hundredth time in recent days, Quinn wondered if she was dreaming. If so, she really didn't want to wake up. 

But she should have known better. 

There was always something lurking, always some sort of bad luck right around the corner for Team Flash. Whether personally, or concerning metas, something awful always reared its ugly head eventually. It was just the life they lived. And she knew that. Better than most. Still, she couldn't help but think that, for now at least, maybe things really were taking a turn for the better... right?


	14. "There's always something to worry about."

After Barry's decision to return to Earth-2 (though they had no idea how to do that yet) and defeat Zoom (which was still an impossibility), trying to get his speed up was turning into a far too time consuming affair. It wasn't that Wells disagreed with the notion. It was his Earth they were talking about, after all. But more than that, he'd give his left kidney to see Zoom dead. Yes, dead. Harrison Wells would never claim to be a Saint. After what that mad speedster had done to Jesse and Quinn, there was just no forgiveness left in him. 

So for a week, they busted ass. They ran simulations and speed trials and pushed all of themselves to the limit. Barry, ever willing, kept wanting to push it. But they were all exhausted. And, as Caitlin so finely put it, if Wells thought they needed a break, then it was serious. Only now he was regretting the idea. Because the moment the words 'take a break' hit the air, Cisco in his infinite wisdom suggested clubbing. Right in front of Jesse. 

She was fast on his heels, pleading the case of why she should be able to go with Caitlin, Barry and Cisco. She didn't stop, even when they were in the elevator. "Over my dead body." Harry stated plainly, just before they exited the elevator. 

"Look, just cause you're stuck in this lab all day doesn't mean I should be, too." She countered, following him still toward the room they'd been sharing. If there was one thing his daughter did not lack, it was determination. A point of pride on his part. He was trying hard not to crack a smile at how much she was pushing. 

"Over my rotting corpse." He responded calmly, cracking the barest of smiles. He knew, eventually, he'd give in. But watching her throw her passion into the things she wanted was amusing, and a singular pleasure. A dad has a right to torture his kid a little.

"Look, what happened to trying new things? Meeting new people?" She pleaded. "You said I should start a life here, right?" There she goes, throwing his words back at him. She was good at that. Always so quick. "And Zoom's over there and we're over here. So there's nothing to worry about!" She practically batted her eyes at him, showing off her pretty smile. 

"There's always something to worry about." He scoffed, not bothering to slow his steps down the winding hallways. 

"Okay. Well, you said Barry and them are good people and I should get to know them." She added. And he had to sigh, entering their room, knowing damn well she'd sensed him breaking down. He could almost feel her smiling at his back. She was every inch a Wells. 

"I did." He said quietly. He could hear the giddiness in her tone when she replied, 'yeah.'

"And you know they'll keep me safe no matter what." Driving the knife in. "Look, I have a life to live, Dad, and a whole world to explore! You've got Quinn to keep you company. I just want to be able to have some happiness, too. Please?" Ugh, who taught this girl how to argue? "Please?"

Harry dropped the backpack he'd been carrying off of his shoulder, turning to look at her before tossing it aside. "Fine." One word. But it was all she'd wanted. And he was happy to give it to her. Happy to make Jesse happy. She practically squealed, hands raised in triumph.

Harry could admit he was overprotective. Far more than most, actually. But when Tess died, leaving him alone to raise their remarkable daughter, he'd done the best he could. He wasn't always the most kind or most outwardly loving, but there was nothing he wouldn't do for Jesse. No lengths he wouldn't go to in order to see her safe. Lengths he prayed she would never find out about. Seeing her look at him as anything other than her hero was... well, it was a heartbreaking thought. 

"But if you're gonna go, you should take protection." He added sternly. He watched shock spread over her face instantly, and raised a brow.

"Oh, uh... Dad, I don't need... I mean just cause you and Quinn are... I... I don't know what you thought I was gonna be doing, but I..." She stammered on. He hid the humor well, but he had to admit her reaction was hilarious. He silenced her by stepping forward and attaching his watch to her wrist, electronic beeping sounds emitted when it activated, ready to detect metas. "Oh, right." She said with an amused smirk. But he knew she wasn't just going to leave it at that. For all she looked to him for advice, for safety and all the other things kids wanted from their fathers, she just had far too much of an independent spirit not to argue even something as small, or in his eyes as small, as this. "I mean, is it necessary? It's kind of, you know..."

He shrugged, looking momentarily over her head. "Or I can always build you an inescapable daughter cube." He countered, meeting her gaze. She curled her nose at him, still smiling.

"Funny." She said, nodding lightly. "You know I'd get out, though, right?" She added, and they both chuckled at that. There she was. His Jesse Quick. The smile he gave her was real, bright. The kind he'd only ever really showed to one other person, and that was Quinn. "Alright, fine." She relented. "I'll do it." And she moved in to hug him. He never tired of those hugs. And he hoped, no matter how old or independent she was, she wouldn't either. She thanked him shortly after and left. He watched her go with a familiar tugging deep inside. It was so much harder on him than he could admit, letting her leave after everything that had happened. 

Even though Zoom was on another Earth, threats were still looming. Like ghosts waiting in the shadows, just out of sight. It was a paranoid way of thinking. But he couldn't quite help it. To be honest, the only reason he'd really relented in Jesse going out was because of Quinn.

 _He and Jesse had an argument. Again. Nothing unusual, really. Just one of those unavoidable things._ "He just doesn't get it." _Jesse said, plopping down next to Quinn on the steps she was sitting on. Harry had followed to try to talk some sense into his daughter, but had stopped, hiding out of sight on the other side of the doorframe, choosing to eavesdrop when he realized who she'd run off to confide in. Quinn had the treadmill's compact generator mounted to a steel post, working on trying to keep the motor from overheating. She was sitting on the steps to get a better angle at it. Her fingers were covered in grease, a dirty rag over one jean clad knee, a screwdriver paused in one hand at the sudden appearance of Jesse. Quinn's hair was pulled up, a grease smudge adorning her cheek. She turned to look at Jesse with a raised brow, then smiled slowly, setting the screwdriver down and wiping her hands on the rag._

"What doesn't he get?" _She asked, turning slightly, rolling the generator somewhat away. Jesse let out a heaved sigh, shaking her head._

"Ya know, he used to sometimes act like I was still a little kid. I figured it was just a Dad thing. But I swear since you all rescued me from Zoom, he's gotten a hundred times worse. It's like he wants to keep me at arms length. I tried to tell him he doesn't need to, but he won't listen to me." _She groused quietly. Harry could feel his heart sink into his stomach, and anger swell into its place. Not anger at Jesse, god no. Anger at himself. He couldn't help how he was. Zoom had her for months, torturing her, torturing him. Could anyone really blame him for wanting to keep an eye on her now? He watched Quinn sigh, watched thoughts flow through her brilliant blue eyes. Had Jesse been sitting there venting to anyone else, he might have intervened. But this was Quinn, the woman he'd chosen to share his life with. The woman who'd chosen him. He had to give her credit where credit was due, and Quinn deserved credit when it came to Jesse. She was good with her. And he knew it._

"How much has your Dad told you about what happened here?" _She waved idly to the lab around them,_ "On this Earth, while you were being held captive?" _Jesse looked at Quinn, a confused expression on her face._

"Not much. I mean, he told me you guys fought metas and worked together to find a way to get to Zoom." _Jesse furrowed her brows._ "But there's more to it, isn't there." _Her face seemed to sober a bit. Quinn nodded, reaching over and pushing some of Jesse's hair behind her ear._

"None of us knew until later, but Zoom... he came back and forth. A lot. He'd hurt Harry and tease him about hurting you every chance he got. Your Dad didn't tell any of us because he was trying to protect us. And trying to figure out how to get both you and him out from under Zoom's thumb. He suffered in silence for months. He could have told any one of us, but he didn't." _Quinn explained, a calm touch of sadness in her voice._ "Knowing he couldn't help you, couldn't get to you... it was killing him. It didn't matter to him how many times Zoom hurt him physically. He'd have gladly suffered in your place."

"Why..." _Jesse cleared her throat softly,_ "Why didn't he tell me?" _Quinn smiled warmly._

"Because he's your Dad. In his mind, it's not your job to worry about him. It's his job to worry about you." _She squeezed Jesse's knee lightly._ "He's been there since the day you were born, and it'll take an act of God to make him stop now. I know it's tough, that you want to find your place in your own way and your own time. I get it." _She slipped her hand away, sighing softly._ "But when he gets like that, just remember he's not doing it to hurt you. He's doing it because you are the only person in this multiverse he loves more than anything or anyone." Jesse cracked a little smile, then leaned into Quinn lightly.

"I'm not the only person. Not anymore." _She said, and Quinn smiled brightly at that. The two of them shared a soft laugh._ "Thanks, Q." _Jesse said honestly. And Quinn just nodded, then motioned to the generator._

"Want to get your hands dirty with me?" _She asked the young Wells woman. Jesse nodded, and the two got to work on the generator. Harry didn't dare go in and say anything after that. He felt his eyes burning with unshed tears. People thought Harry's emotions were based mostly on anger and frustration. But his real emotions ran so deep that he had to hide them most of the time. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then turned and headed away, leaving the two people he loved more than anyone or anything to fix the generator alone._

Now he was just staring at the empty room. The two neatly made cots, the table where he did his tinkering when he couldn't sleep, the neat piles of clothes on the open shelves. It wasn't home. Not really. And it had been a whole lot more bare before Jesse had come back. She'd already put up a few colorful pictures, found some flowers and vases. She was trying to make the gray washed area brighter. And he couldn't blame her. She'd lost so much. And yet here she was, still trying to live her life like it hadn't been torn apart. That alone made him proud. She was so much stronger than he was. She could survive this world without him, if it came down to it. He just wished the world, any world for that matter, wasn't filled with all those nightmares he knew were out there but couldn't see...


	15. "No, that's true."

So another speedster. Another problem. Whenever things seemed to be going slow, they never stayed that way for long. A night out for the others had turned into a robbery, orchestrated by a female speedster with no manners. Barry was less than happy at the idea that people might think he was responsible. That the Flash was some sort of thief. Quinn had come up with an idea to make a tracking a device that wouldn't fall off or become unusable at high speeds. She'd been sitting at Harry's desk in his and Jesse's room, working up a blueprint when they got the call about the speedster thief. After finding out that Jesse was indeed safe and sound, Harry decided to pitch in. "This might be useful in this situation." He said, stepping up behind her and massaging her shoulders while he looked over what she'd done so far. About a half hour later, they had a working sketch and were about to scan it into the computer when Jesse walked in, none too happy.

"So, fun night?" Harry asked, giving his daughter a nod in acknowledgement, slowly gliding the LED lit scanning bar over the blueprint. "Before all the chaos broke loose?" He added. Quinn smiled at her momentarily before glancing back at the image appearing on the screen. When he was finished, he set the bar down. But Jesse didn't say anything. Instead, she flipped open Harry's watch. There was a soft beeping. Then... Harry's recorded voice was heard.

_'That I would do anything to get you back.'_

Quinn slowly stood up straight, turning to look fully at Harry and Jesse. Harry had gone stiff, still, silent. 

_'Including killing a man.'_

What? Quinn blinked, furrowing her brows. She looked at Harry wordlessly. It was Jesse who spoke next, flipping the watch back closed. 

"Tell me I'm not hearing this right." She demanded, tears stinging her green eyes. Harry met her gaze without flinching, taking a few steady breaths before slipping his hands to his hips and turning to face his daughter entirely.

"No, that's true." He admitted, not an inch of ill or remorse in his voice. Quinn felt... stunned. Completely at a loss. And Jesse, god... poor Jesse. Her face crumpled momentarily. "Zoom had you. Zoom needed the Flash's speed. And it was him or you." His tone grew softly angry. It didn't take Quinn more than a moment to figure out who 'him' was. It was too much of a coincidence. They'd been willing to believe earlier that it had just been an aneurysm that killed Turtle, despite Jay's insistence that Harry had something to do with it. But, it seemed, they'd been dead wrong. "And I was not going to lose you." He finished, moving toward her, facing his hurting and angry daughter in the same stoic manner he faced everything and everyone else. 

"You know, you were my hero." Jesse said, her voice thick with tears, but angry at every edge. "My Dad, the brilliant scientist, who could accomplish anything he put his mind to. Who taught me I could never dream too big. But now?" She shook her head, looking him up and down, ignoring the pain that was filling his eyes, his face. "Now you're a killer. And I barely recognize you at all!" She turned to leave.

"Jesse-" Harry moved instinctively after her.

"No, no, no don't." Jesse urged, putting a hand up between them. "Don't worry, I'm not going far." She muttered, and then left the room. The sudden silence was almost deafening.

Quinn hadn't moved from where she was standing. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She was stuck between feeling angry, confused and hurt. But why? She knew damn well that Harry had felt he needed to do some pretty awful things to get Jesse back. Hell, he'd stolen some of Barry's speed. But now she knew how. Now she knew it was because he'd killed Turtle, used the man's abilities to synthesize the compact device that stole Barry's speed for Zoom's use. Question was... why hadn't he told her? Everything they'd said to each other since then, all that they'd been through, all that they'd shared together... why had he kept that from her? Her gaze had lingered to the desk sometime during that train ride of a thought structure when she felt him turn and look at her. She forced herself to meet his gaze. He was hurting. She could see it, the tension around his eyes, the stern lines of his face. 

"I didn't... know how." He nearly whispered, facing her fully from across the room. "How to tell you." He said, always as though he was reading her mind. Quinn felt her heart skip a few beats. She shook her head softly, looking away long enough to let the air out of her lungs. He moved toward her, a hand outstretched, but then stopped as though he were being held at the end of a leash. His hand fell, and he looked down, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't..." he whispered, shaking his head lightly. "Please, no..." he seemed to be talking to someone else. Almost like he was praying. Quinn couldn't just stand there, watching him in pain, watching him suffer. She was moving before her brain caught up, straight into his space, holding his face in her hands and pressing her forehead to his. He opened his eyes in surprised and let out half a gasp, half a sob. She felt her own resolve crumple, tears welling up. "I can't lose you over this. Please, please..." he muttered, his hands gripping her forearms. "And Jesse..." Quinn pulled her head away, still holding his face.

"Look at me, Harry." He forced his eyes up from the floor at her order, "You're not losing anyone. You made a mistake. Okay? A... pretty big one. But I'm not going anywhere. All that happened with Zoom, all that he did to you, to Jesse... it's over, Harry. It's over, and I'm not holding on to it. What you did," she sighed, watching the emotions just flood every crease of his face, "It's over. It's done. And you're not going to be that man anymore. You're just not." She practically sobbed out the last part. Before she could even think about getting anymore words out, he was moving into her and holding on for dear life. 

Not in a million years had she thought she'd be in this situation. Morally, she should have been outright disgusted by this. If she was an outside observer, knowing the truth about Turtle, she should have been livid. But she wasn't. Because she also knew everything Zoom had done to Harry, had done to Jesse, hell... had done to her. The lengths Harry had been pushed to may have been morally questionable, but she understood them. Turtle was a killer, so she wasn't about to mourn his death. But most of all, she knew that no one and nothing could punish Harry more for what he'd done than what Harry was doing to punish himself. 

* * *

He was punishing himself. Every day. Every night. He reminded himself constantly that he was not worth much more than the science he could offer. And yet Jesse and Quinn would find ways to try to make him believe otherwise. Their love was everything he didn't deserve, and everything he couldn't live without. After Trajectory attacked the lab and nearly killed Jesse with Velocity Nine, he'd tried to apologize to her, tried to make it right. He told her that it's his job to keep her safe, to protect her. But she'd told him, maybe it shouldn't be his job to protect her. He knew she was angry. She had every right to be. But it was like a slap in the face. After Trajectory died from her addiction, he went looking for Jesse, one more time. He needed to fix this. But what he found... well, what he found was another heartache recorded on his discarded watch.

_'Hey, Dad. It's me. Listen. Your job over the years has been to shield me from harm. But now, it's my turn to go out into this new world on my own, no shield, and discover what this Earth can offer. You know, you are the best teacher I've ever had, but I don't know what more you can teach me. I love you. Please don't come looking for me._

If a heart breaking could make a sound, his would have shook the entire building. He nearly crushed the watch in his hand, a tear escaping down his cheek. She didn't want him to go after her, but she also didn't know what they all knew now. That Jay and Zoom were one in the same. That Cisco had been vibing Zoom since they closed the last breach, all because of his proximity to Jay's helmet. And in Harrison's mind that meant only one thing, they were nowhere near out of danger.

So he searched.

In the past, he'd have pushed Quinn away. He'd have made any excuse he could not to seek comfort in her arms, in her willingness to accept him. He'd have turned up every opportunity there was to touch her, to hear her voice in his ears. But he needed her like he needed air. She was the only thing keeping him steady anymore. Until he found Jesse, brought her home, he was pretty sure Quinn would be all that kept him sane. She was the only one he had patience for. He was pretty sure his aggravation and frustration was being haphazardly let out on the others, but he was too focused on what needed to be done to care. Even Barry going back in time to talk to Thawne against Harry's explicit warnings not to didn't seem to bother him as much as it should have. Barry got what he needed in any case, so perhaps it wasn't a complete loss. 

He had to admit, the young man had balls. He may not have always made the right choices, but he always made it right, one way or another. Harry was pretty sure he couldn't say the same. Every time he fucked up, he couldn't seem to make things better. Barry told him, in this situation, he was just being a father. That he'd done what any father would do for their child. But it seemed that every decision Harry had made had backfired on him. He was beginning to feel, more and more as the days went on, that he'd lost her... his Jesse. That didn't mean he'd stop looking. 

After awhile, he even asked Joe to step in, to use his police contacts to look for her. And to try to get Barry off the terrible notion that opening the breaches back to Earth-2 was anywhere near a good idea. Despite his best efforts to convince him otherwise, Barry had his head stuck on the idea that letting Zoom have access to Earth-1 was the best way to stop him. In Harry's head, it was also the best way to give that bastard access to his daughter and Quinn again. In his mind, that was just not an option. But Cisco managed to open a breach. One thing led to another and Zoom... well, he took Wally. To save him, Barry gave up the only advantage they'd had. His speed. The icing on the cake was Caitlin. In the blink of an eye, Zoom took her. And the affect on Quinn was devastating. 

Harry didn't know how to navigate this new minefield. He was trapped between needing to help Caitlin, to help Quinn, and to find his daughter. Now that Zoom was on the loose, he had no doubt that Jesse was in danger. From Cisco's vibes, they knew Caitlin was okay. Scared, but unharmed. It wasn't enough for Quinn. She was so quiet, angry. Everything in her wanted something to fight, something tangible to hurt. And he couldn't blame her for that in the least. He knew the compulsion to give in to that fury all too well. She hadn't gone back to the apartment she'd shared with Caitlin since Zoom abducted her. Quinn had taken up residence at S.T.A.R. Labs instead. She barely slept. She worked round the clock. Pushed herself to the point of exhaustion. And Harry couldn't be there to reel her in. Not always, not until he found Jesse again. The whole situation was a nightmare, putting pressure on all the worst places. It wasn't till he could pull her aside, into the quiet of his room or under the cool air of her gazebo, that they found a moment's peace.

They were laying on his cot, facing each other, their legs criss-crossed together in the dark. Only a soft glow came from his computer monitor in the corner, illuminating her face in patches of dark shadows. Her eyes were blinking heavily, looking at him. She was wearing her ugly sweater again. It was wrapped around her like a layer of protection. He had his hand beneath the folds, holding her. Her hand was on his face, stroking smooth lines into his skin with her thumb. They hadn't said anything since they'd shut the lights off. There was barely enough room for both of them on the cot, but they made it work. Harry just needed her close, needed to know she was still something real. And Quinn needed to feel his arms, keeping her from shaking apart. He was exhausted. So was she. He wouldn't be able to sleep long. First thing in the morning, he'd be off after Jesse. He'd finally found her. Or at least the cellular dead zone surrounding her. People from his Earth vibrated at a different frequency than people from this Earth, leaving cellular dead zones wherever they went. He was honestly angry he hadn't thought of it sooner. But for now, he wouldn't think about it... for now, he could hold Quinn. For now, he could comfort her. 

"You're fighting it." He whispered, watching her eyes search his in a constant struggle to stay awake. She let out a slow sigh, shifting her body a little closer to his till their foreheads met. Her hand slipped around him, her arm tucked against his side beneath his own.

"I'm afraid to sleep." She admitted, her voice thick with exhaustion. "I don't want to have nightmares." He knew how much she hated those, and how often she'd been having them since Caitlin was taken. He could relate. 

"I'll chase them away." He said, cracking a small smile for her benefit. She gave a quiet chuckle.

"Ever the hero." She whispered, pressing her lips to his afterward for a warm, wonderful moment. Then she relaxed again. "You won't leave... will you?" She asked then, closing her eyes. He felt her brows furrow, their heads still pressed together. She had a valid reason to ask. Lately, he'd get up and work in the middle of the night, or not sleep at all. But he knew where Jesse was now. The weight of finding her, the worry, was not nearly as pressing. Not nearly as terrible. 

"No." He said softly, reaching down and pulling the blanket that was over them higher up their bodies before holding her again. "Not going anywhere, honey." She smiled tiredly at that. 

"You called me honey." She muttered, soft humor in her words.

"Do you prefer something else?" 

"Naw, honey works." Her words were getting slower, heavier. "I have to think of something for you, now." 

"You already call me Harry." He reminded. Nicknames didn't really mean much to him. 

"Everyone calls you Harry." Quinn was barely holding onto consciousness at this point. "I'm thinking... pooky." She half smiled. He rolled his eyes at that.

"You're delirious. Go to sleep." He ordered firmly. She just sighed contentedly and gave him one last quick kiss. A moment later, she was fast asleep. And he was watching her breathe. He could feel the rise and fall of her deep breaths, the otherwise absolute stillness in her body. She smelled like the ocean, probably something to do with her shampoo. Still, it was a soothing smell. He lifted a hand in the relative dark, fingers tracing the soft white scar over her brow. He'd asked her once why she always blushed when he complimented her, or when he would look at her a certain way. It had surprised him to find out she didn't think she was anything special. That when she looked in the mirror, she didn't see a beautiful woman looking back. Sure, she had scars. She had the black starburst on her chest. And under certain circumstances, she was a veritable painting of delicate black branches. But none of that, to Harry, was anything less than perfect. Hell, he could easily throw the same argument at her. Sure, he stayed healthy and fit. Had to. But that didn't mean he was everyone's cup of tea to look at. Cisco so colorfully put his features under the 'perpetual resting bitch face' category. If that was even a thing. Attraction was relative. Even if someone else had Quinn's body, he wouldn't love them. Because they weren't her. They didn't have her heart, her mind, her spirit. Those were the things he loved the most. Her gorgeous, in his eyes, body was just a happy plus.

It had been the same with Tess. She'd been his match in every way, and far more beautiful than the man he used to be would have even tried to date. The fact she'd married him had been a surprise. The fact she'd had a child with him was damn near miraculous. Losing her had destroyed him. Finding Quinn had rebuilt him. He'd never be the happy-go-lucky, drowned in science and living a hell of a good life kind of guy that he'd been all those years ago. That Harrison Wells didn't exist anymore. But who he was now, with Quinn, was a man who had something even better. Hope. 

Hope that he wasn't a lost cause. Hope that when Quinn said she loved him, she meant forever. Hope that tomorrow, and every tomorrow, would be something he could continue to look forward to. He held onto that thought as he finally stopped fighting sleep. He let himself concentrate on the rhythm of Quinn's soft breathing. He let himself soak up the mutual warmth they shared beneath the blanket. And finally, when he was beyond the point of no return, he whispered one more, "I love you," before he closed his eyes completely and let the darkness take him down...


	16. "Don't DO that."

She didn't hear the alarm go off. And Harry was still there, asleep, which meant it was still early. Probably too early. She'd probably not really slept more than a few hours, if even. Quinn slowly got up on one elbow, vision well adjusted to the dark as she looked down on Harry. She could see his eyes dart back and forth between his lids, felt his hands tighten around her every now and then. Hadn't she said she was the one who didn't want to have nightmares? It was utterly instinctual, the need to take away his pain, his tension. She reached up with delicate fingers, tracing the clean lines on his face, the skin weathered slightly by time. 

This Harrison Wells, Harry, was not an easy man. He could be cold, hard, even cruel when the mood struck him. He was frustratingly authoritative, and could probably stare down the devil if given the chance. Even when he was happy, it was hard for most people to notice. 

But she wasn't most people. And neither was he, which was probably why they worked.

Because when Harry smiled, it was warm and real and full of the depths that most people couldn't see. When he was kind, when he was modest, when he was blatantly apologetic (in his own way), it made him so very human. He was flawed, he was scarred, he was jaded. But he was real. There wasn't a rough edge or soft curve of his psyche, spirit and heart that Quinn wasn't drawn to. She didn't just see an asshole with no emotional IQ. She saw a man with far too many walls who surprisingly built a door that only she was allowed the key for. 

_Back when things seemed settled, the breach closed and Zoom trapped on Earth-2, Jesse and Caitlin both home and safe, the device out of Quinn's chest and life relatively back to normal (or as normal as it could be), he started an out of the blue conversation with her. She'd been keeping herself busy for the most part, letting Harry and Jesse have the time they needed to settle into their new life, new world. And Harry had found her field stripping his pulse rifle and cleaning it, tweaking it, adding an extra power module to the charge capacitor._ "You do realize I don't have any more of those, right?" _He asked, sauntering into the tiny lab she called her own. It was a quiet space, painted in sea greens and blue tones to add some color to the windowless room. It was tidy, for the most part. Everything had its place in drawers or on shelves. She had two desks with monitors and computers for simulations. And she had two long, wide metal tables for her tinkering and workings. One of which was now covered in a dry cloth and the parts to Harry's rifle. She set down the tweezers she'd been using to peel back the binding tape over some wires and turned her backless rolling chair to look at him._

"Which is why you should take better care of it. You haven't properly tuned this thing up in ages, from the looks of it." _She replied. She was wearing a gray t-shirt and a pair of jean overalls. Her hair was up in a messy bun, pinned up by pencils. Not exactly her most attractive look, but that didn't stop Harry from giving her that gaze. The one that said she was the only light for miles around and he had every intention of going blind. It made her blush. Hell, it always made her blush. She naturally rubbed her hands on her thighs, and felt the intense need to hide, to shy away and keep herself in the background, come back almost full strength. Harry narrowed his gaze on her, his expression changing to something concerned and stern all at once. Only he could pull something like that off._

"You're doing it again." _He said, pulling his hands out of his black jean pockets and moving toward her. He always wore blacks and dark grays and steel grays. His wardrobe had never been exactly vibrant, but sometimes she wondered what he'd look like in shades of blue or even a dark red. She swallowed lightly, clearing her throat when he came to hover over her, having to crane her neck from where she was sitting to look straight up at him._

"Doing what?" _She asked naively, even though she knew damn well what he was talking about. Quinn watched a sigh puff out from between his lips before he lifted a hand to smooth wayward strands of her unruly black hair behind one of her ears. She felt her skin tingle lightly where his fingertips grazed by._

"What do you think it is I see in you?" _Harry asked without warning. He was good like that, sometimes. He'd say something or ask something that would totally throw her off guard and into a moment of complete disorientation._

"I... what?" _She nearly stuttered, blinking, swallowing down the sudden rock hard lump in her throat. He flared a breath through his nostrils and crouched before her then, hands on her hips as he settled slightly between her knees, her hands moving comfortably to his shoulders, all of a sudden shortened enough for her to have to look slightly down at him. She felt a bit like an unwilling yo yo for a second. She really hoped he wouldn't make her actually have to think of an answer for his question. Because she had no clue, no inkling, no freaking idea what it was this man saw in her. It wasn't that she was too stupid to realize that she must have had some fascinating or attractive qualities. But she was also not the vivid woman she'd been before Thawne had gotten his hands on her. Who she was now was more a mystery to her than she'd ever be able to put voice to._

"You are unmistakably different. From everyone." _Harry said then, capturing her gaze like a deer in headlights. She felt her whole expression sober. Was that... a good thing? Being so different? She felt his thumbs began to move on her hips, stroking in tight circles over the jean material._ "The world, this world or any other, is more often than not built of precise people. There's no diverging from their norms, their single storylines." _He shook his head lightly._ "People of every breed and form and kind, going about their existences as though the rest of the world doesn't exist. Except for those few special individuals, the heroes who fight for everything and everyone but themselves. Self sacrificing, honest and real people who are flawed and damaged and push on despite every reason they shouldn't. They destroy the status quo just by existing. Like Barry, Caitlin, even Cisco... and you." 

_Harry's words filled her head like lesson she wasn't supposed to forget, something she needed to remember no matter what happened. He was talented with motivation, with taking words and making them into something tangible, something felt and real without being poetic or flourishing. She wished she could be so distinct and reasoning._

"But even you're different from them." _Harry's eyes tightened on her face,_ "You think you were destroyed. Like you were a forest and someone lit a fire that devastated everything good in you. Replaced you with something ashen and dark." _He nodded, as though coming to the conclusion himself just as he said it. He stood then, her hands sliding away and into his as he reached for her and pulled her to her feet, then into his frame, one hand warmly against her side as his other smoothed over her cheek, calloused fingers tracing her skin as he held her gaze._

"I'm sure you know this, but the thing about fire is it makes way for something new, seeds of growth that start out fragile but turn into stronger, hardier versions of their former counterparts. Most people wouldn't even see those seeds, or feel that newness for years. But not you. You're surviving off the hope that one day, you'll see a sprout rising up through those ashes. You took what was done to you, and though you're haunted by the ashes, you use them to your advantage. You're growing a new you. What I see in you is what you're making of yourself. The hope of a better tomorrow, a stronger future. A hope you've so easily shared without a second thought with the one person who never deserved it." _He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss over her brow._ "Me."

 _When he met her gaze again, it was with a smile. The sort that made her heart decide it was a gymnast._ "So, to answer my own question in short, hope. That's what I see in you." _And Quinn had to smile back._

She watched as Harry stilled, as his eyes relaxed beneath his lids and his body went from tense to eased, just from her soft tracings. She knew in a bare few hours, he'd be awake and off to find Jesse. Quinn couldn't go with him. She needed to be here, in case there was any news on Caitlin. God, just thinking about her sister made pain flood her insides. It was so intense that it was almost physical. She could feel it actively draining her. Quinn quietly peeled herself away from Harry, making sure to tuck the blanket back over him as she slipped out of the small cot. She watched him sleep for a long moment before rubbing her hands over her face. She was just... bloody exhausted. Yeah.

Sleep, however, was not going to come back for her. Not now. She moved herself silently on bare feet, making her way out of Harry and Jesse's room. No point on lingering. He'd notice, she knew he would, and she didn't want to risk waking him up, too. There was no point in them both being exhausted. S.T.A.R. Labs was a veritable ghost town at this hour, like most of the time actually. Hundreds of offices, dozens of labs all empty and void of life after the explosion had pretty much tanked the business. The cold hallways and dank interior should have bothered her, but she found an odd comfort in the quiet and starkness of the place. It was like walking through someplace long abandoned, echoes of a history unknown or unseen painted in the air, waiting for someone to guess its origins. Of course, she knew the origins. But that didn't make the idea of it any less comforting.

Quinn knew every inch of this place now. Every room, every corner, every warn out path from hours of walking in seclusion. But she always somehow found herself wandering back to the Cortex, where their own private labs and the med bay and their 'base of operations' had seemed to just make itself. The lights were always on there, the soft hum of computers and the equipment they used always giving off a white noise even in the middle of the night. But this late, or perhaps this early, it was typically empty. Which was why she was surprised to see Cisco standing with his shoulder against the doorway leading into the med bay. His shoulders were slightly hunched and his shoulder length hair somewhat disheveled. Like he'd tossed and turned and hadn't been able to sleep. He was wearing the same clothes he'd worn before leaving earlier. And there was a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. "Shouldn't you be at home?" She asked quietly, only to hear Cisco's rather girlish squeal of surprise as he spun around, half his coffee splashing onto the tile floor. And she laughed. God, she laughed. Probably much harder than she should have. Maybe it was the exhaustion, the worry, the stress, but she was nearly doubled over with it.

"Don't DO that." He groused before setting the coffee cup onto the nearest flat surface and shaking his hand out. "I swear to god, you and Harry take ninja classes on the down low or something." He mumbled, stepping up into the med bay and yanking open the cabinet doors where they kept clean towels. He grabbed two and came back flopping them onto the puddle he'd made and stomped on it. "I'm going to end up having a stroke, or an aneurysm, if you two keep this up."

Once she'd managed to completely compose herself, she wandered over to him and took his hand, entwining their fingers. He held her hand back easily. "I'm sorry, honestly." Quinn said with a bright smile, feeling oddly detached from all the crap that was weighing her down. It was nice, actually. Cisco leaned slightly into her, glancing sideways into the med lab. 

"Eh, it's alright. Gives me a cardio workout against my will. I should be grateful." He smirked, but she could see the humor didn't reach his eyes. She knew he was worried about Caitlin, too. Far more than he'd admit out loud. "Besides," he looked back at her, "You smiled, and laughed. Haven't seen or heard that in a little while." She nodded, then practically plopped her forehead onto his shoulder. 

"Almost forgot I could." She mused, Cisco reached up with his free hand and smoothed out her hair before kissing the top of her head. 

"Come on. I need more coffee now that my heart isn't racing a marathon." He chided, leading her to the little kitchen off of the speed lab. She plopped herself down at the round table in the center of the room. She nearly stretched her upper half out on the table top, till her chin was rested on the flat surface and her arms were to either side. She watched him pour two fresh cups of coffee, bring them over, set them down and nearly melt into his own chair. "Tastes like mud. But, ya know... best there is when Jitters is closed." She just shrugged and wrapped one hand around her cup, bringing it toward her without lifting her head. She inhaled a deep breath of the bitter liquid and let out a slow sigh. "Do you remember that cappuccino machine we used to have? The big bronze one with all the levers?" He asked then, a slow smile creeping sideways on his face as he stared into his mug. Quinn smirked lightly, the memory of it coming back easily.

"You mean the one Caitlin blew up?" She straightened lightly, bringing her feet up beneath her in the wide chair and pulling the cup into her lap. Cisco chuckled.

"She painted the whole room in foam and coffee. I swear they heard her screaming all the way in Star City." He grinned and a moment later they both laughed. It was good to laugh. And painful. It hurt, all of a sudden, to remember Caitlin drenched in coffee, coffee grounds and foam, looking like she'd taken a bath in a sink of brown liquid. Apparently it hurt Cisco just as much because both their faces sobered at the same exact time. "We're going to get her back, ya know." He stated then, and she met his tired gaze. But he wasn't just tired, was he... he was also trying to be determined. She could see he needed to believe it that they'd get her sister back and she'd be fine. Hope, right? That's what it was. And she felt it bubble up inside her.

Quinn had her doubts, her fears. She knew first hand what Zoom... Jay... was capable of. But she also knew her sister. There was no way in any hell in any universe they weren't going to get her home safe and sound. There just... wasn't. "I know." Quinn said firmly, nodding before she raised her mug to her lips and took a long, lingering sip. Cisco was watching her, his brows furrowed in slight confusion.

"You just sayin that to make me happy or do you actually believe it?" He asked her then, watching her like a hawk. She lowered her mug and shrugged.

"I believe it. Caitlin is strong, she's resourceful. And she's got all of us losing sleep and burning brain cells to find a way to get to her. We've beaten Zoom before. We've defied the odds, right? We'll do it again." Yeah, hope. She liked hope. Liked knowing what it was and what it felt like. Liked knowing she didn't just have it but could also be a source of it. And if she could give it to Harry without realizing it, then she could give it to Cisco on purpose. "We're bringing her home, Cisco. One way or another. We're bringing my sister home." 

Cisco's brows softened at that, and he gave a small smile, nodding at her. She could still see the exhaustion in his eyes, probably mirrored in her own at this point, but the difference was Cisco wasn't just trying to have hope. She could see it there, mingling with the tired. He had hope now. It might just be a seed, but it was planted. And like all seeds, this one would no doubt grow. As Quinn and Cisco sat there in the far too early morning hours, drinking terrible coffee and talking about nothing, she could almost visualize a picture of a tree growing strong, deep roots into the ashen ground, and long, sturdy branches reaching for a sunlit sky as bright green leaves danced in a subtle breeze. Even if it wasn't real, it was probably the most beautiful tree she'd ever seen...


	17. "I could never have predicted you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Don't leave an inch of me untouched - and if you think that strictly means skin, well... then, you don't know much about love.' - KK Meade

Harry should have been used to heartbreak by now. It wasn't a new concept, nor an alien feeling to him. But it never ceased to surprise him just how much it could affect him, how much life it took out of him whenever it happened. And lately, the blows just kept coming. First Jesse leaves, and Caitlin gets taken. Then he finds Jesse, and another heartbreak along with her. He was sure his heart was pretty much a giant jigsaw puzzle at this point, pieced together with nothing but staples to keep it from completely coming apart. Jesse, his Jesse, hates him. That's what kept rolling around in his head as he drove the S.T.A.R. Labs van to... shit, he didn't even know where. He was driving aimlessly, the conversation they'd had in that apartment playing on repeat. 

"Listen, we need to go." _He told her after her roommate left, shifting his pulse rifle further behind him and moving back in the direction of the door. Jesse barely paced, sarcasm thick in her tone as she responded._

"So, what? You think I'll be safer with you?" _She demanded, turning an empty glass in her hand. He paused with his hand on the door knob._

"Yes." _He said plainly, watching the flowing expressions on his daughter's face as she moved past him toward the tiny kitchen._

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass." _She remarked, the cold in her tone not lost on him. But he tried to ignore it. He needed to keep her safe. Zoom was still out there, still able to get to Jesse. And he couldn't let that happen. Jesse had to know, had to realize she wasn't safe... right?_

"Jesse, we need to leave." _He turned, watching her, intent on getting her to listen. But when she turned around, half angry and half exasperated, his resolve faltered ever so slightly. Her words only helped make it worse._

"No, okay? No, I'm bot going anywhere with you, ever again." _She practically dragged her words through him, emotion tugging at her voice. But still, he had to try. He couldn't just let it be._

"You..." _he turned, pleading,_ "You're in danger. Do you understand?!" _He demanded,_ "You're in grave danger." _He tried to explain, but he knew, he felt he was falling short of the mark. Too short. And the way Jesse was looking at him? God..._

"I know! I'm in danger because of you!" _Jesse chided, her eyes wet with tears._

"Because of me?" _Harry asked, blinking, confused._

"Yeah! Okay, everything that's happened, it's your fault." _She blurted out. And there it was. That ever present guilt he tried so hard to ignore blossomed, burning, ripping at his already too battered heart._ "Zoom hunting us, the metas, moving here. I'm done with it, okay?" _She continued, and he continued to fall apart inside, doing everything he could to keep it from showing on the outside._ "You want me to start a new life and that is exactly what I'm trying to do." _She turned, headed back for her room. He tried to stop her, her name urgent on his lips. But she turned on him,_ "You killed a man!" _She exclaimed,_ "I can't just forgive you for that." _He could almost hear the sound of his heart being ripped of yet another piece._ "And I may be afraid of Zoom, but... I am just as afraid of you. Please just go." _And rip... the piece came completely off._

He couldn't stop the wetness in his own eyes, wetness that still threatened the more he drove away from Jesse. He couldn't grip that steering wheel tight enough. It felt like everything inside of him was rattling apart. And it might have well been, it would have made more sense than metaphorically thinking his heart was basically a jumbled mess. Everything -every damn thing he had ever done for Jesse was to protect her, to keep her safe. He may not have always made the best decisions, he made mistakes and unwise choices, but he'd done so out of love. The one explanation he didn't know how to give. Sometimes, he wished he wasn't so goddamn emotionally inept. And sometimes, he could forget that he was an idiot when it came to feelings. But, as was turning out to always be the case, something typically happened to remind him. 

The sudden appearance of someone in the road, and waking up in an abandoned amusement park with an overly demanding meta, Griffon Gray, was one of those things. Harry tried to deny that guilt, that deep rooted thorn that had long ago embedded itself into his psyche, but he was responsible. Jesse had been right. He may not have created the metas here. The other Wells, Thawne, whatever the hell people called him, was responsible for that. But he'd done enough damage to his own Earth that the residual guilt was far too familiar. It may have well been his fault on this Earth, too. No matter how he outwardly tried to deny it, it had his name all over it. And that was sentence enough.

He couldn't fix what the particle accelerator had done to the young man. And he'd explained as much. But desperation was what it was. And the last time Gray tossed him like a rag doll, Harry had a brief moment of finality. Of knowing that no matter what he did, where he went, or who he was, that guilt would find its way to terrorize him every moment of every hour of every day. And the people he loves right along with him. Like Jesse... and Quinn. Unless, of course, Gray kept true to his word and just killed Harry for his sins. That'd be a hell of a thing. 

But Barry, Joe, Cisco and Quinn saved the day with, surprisingly, Jesse. Saving him from his mistakes and himself all over again. Seeing his daughter, the worry on her face, the trembling in her arms as she hugged him, made him think maybe... just maybe... she didn't hate him after all. Which was good. Because he hated himself enough for everyone involved. When they finally had a moment to talk, back in the room they shared at S.T.A.R. Labs, he was running over and over in his head what he should say, but none of it seemed to be good enough. Thankfully, it was Jesse who spoke up first. She was good like that. Always so quick.

"I'm sorry, Dad, for just leaving like that. But, I mean... you have to understand. I'm the reason you killed that man. And that's a really heavy burden to bear." She explained, and for a moment he remembered her being ten years old, scolding him for being so mean to the lab assistant for the hundredth time. He let out a slow sigh.

"I know." He nearly whispered. He licked his lips, not bothering to think of what to say for a change. Harry just let the words come, "I know. I also know that what I've done, it's unforgivable." He turned, a hand on his hip, unable to really look her in the eye just yet. He needed to tell her more, to give her reasons. She deserved that much. Hell, she deserved so much more. But this was all Harry had to give at the moment. "When your mother died, honey, something inside me broke."

Jesse shifted lightly where she stood. Harry knew this would be slightly surprising for her. He never talked about her mother. He never reminisced, never even said her name. But he could do this much. He could tell Jesse how this all began, how he'd become who and what he is. "I couldn't protect her." He felt the same unshed tears from earlier threatening to escape as he continued, "And I swore, I swore on her grave, no less, that I would protect you." He moved toward her, finally meeting her own tear filled stare. "And the Zoom took you and I snapped." He couldn't help the emotion in his tone. The pain, the anger, the sorrow. It all seethed out as his hands balled into tight fists. "I just snapped. I couldn't breathe, I... I couldn't lose the only other person that I love." 

"Yeah, yeah I get that. I understand why you did everything you did to protect me. I mean, you were only missing one day and I would have done anything to find you. But, I mean," she wiped at a tear, shrugging her shoulders lightly, "I need to know that that's never gonna happen again, okay? Every time I stay out late or get in trouble, you can't track me down or hurt someone cause you're trying to save me."

At that point, they both agreed that he would do better, be better, be the man that both Jesse and Quinn seemed to think he was capable of being. And Jesse, his baby girl, promised not to run away. He could handle having his heart broken by just about anything, but losing her? He was pretty sure he wouldn't survive that. After they'd hugged, Jesse smiled at him, wiping one last tear. "You're wrong about one thing, though."

"What's that?" He asked, letting her go as she stepped back and flopped down onto her cot.

"I'm not the only other person anymore." She smiled warmly at him, her cheeks flushed from crying. "You've got Quinn now, too." He smiled lightly at that, turning toward his bag again, settling his hands on it and pausing.

"I don't know why." He muttered, shaking his head a little. "She shouldn't..." he felt his lungs expand as he took in a deep breath, letting it out slow. "She shouldn't want to be with me. I'm the last person she should want." He'd tried to make sense of it, and always came up short of an explanation. Quinn Snow was... well, she was everything he could ever want. Part of him, a big part, would always love his long since lost wife. But what he felt for Quinn was real and powerful and frightening, and he was torn between knowing damn well he didn't deserve her and not wanting to lose her. 

"Dad." One word. Jesse's voice firm and calm. He looked over at her, clenching his jaw softly. "It's her decision who she's with. And if you really want to know why she chose you, it's because she sees in you what you can't. The same things I see." 

"And what are those?" He asked almost warily. But Jesse smiled.

"Even if you don't think so, Dad, you're a good man. You might get things wrong sometimes, might get a little too caught up. But you're still good. And... still my hero." And Jesse practically beamed at him. That same smile that he'd always thought all little girls gave their fathers. He swallowed down a lump in his throat, nodding once before going back to his bag. Jesse was home. It was time to get settled, and figure out how to get Caitlin home, too. 

* * *

Hours later, Harry was watching Quinn. 

She was sitting, alone, on the steps of the breach room. She was staring, almost blankly, at the empty space where the breach would have been. It was dark there, small lights on the consoles and the dormant side bars barely offered anything beyond shadows and the occasional focal point. But he could see her, the tension on her features, the strain in her eyes. She was so worried about Caitlin. Hell, they all were. But Quinn even more so. She was wholly adamant that they'd find a way to get her sister back. But deep down, Quinn was scared to death that she would never see her sister again. 

"Are you going to stare at me all night?" She asked so suddenly that Harry had to raise both brows when she turned to look at him. He was still in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He'd thought he'd been quiet. But he should have known Quinn was far too good to sneak up on. He cracked a light smile, catching her gaze in the relative dark. And she smiled back. Small, solemn, but a real smile. "How's Jesse?" She asked, and he shrugged a little, moving toward her and settling beside her on the cold metal steps. 

"She's a far better person than I will ever be." He conceded with a nod as Quinn turned slightly to face him. She lifted a hand to the cut on his forehead. She'd offered to heal him before. But he knew how tired she was. She'd slept so little since Caitlin was taken. She was burning herself out, and he wasn't about to add to it.

"And you?" She very softly traced a line down the side of his face. He felt himself leaning into that touch without question. 

"Better. Now that she's forgiven me." He reached for her, sliding his hands around to her lower back. "And now that I'm with you." He leaned into her, pressing his forehead to hers. "I don't deserve either one of you. All of this..." he let out a quaking sigh, closing his eyes, "It's because of me." It was strange, finally admitting it out loud. The guilt seemed to perk up, but it didn't hurt. It was more like coming to terms with what he couldn't control. It almost felt like a step in the right direction. Quinn's hands cupped his face then, forcing his eyes to open, to catch the shadows playing on her face.

"I don't blame you. None of us do. Zoom is a bastard all on his own." She asserted so firmly that he had to blink, narrow his gaze. "As for what I deserve, Harrison Wells," She said his full name without hesitation, without wavering, it practically sounded like a song in his ears, "I deserve honesty, respect, trust. I deserve someone who will stand with me, someone who's real, who takes me for all I am and doesn't try to change me. I deserve to be happy." Her eyes, her words, her tone all spoke myriads. It was like she'd come to this conclusion after decades of fighting a war she shouldn't have ever been a part of. "As selfish as that all sounds, it's true. And you know what?" He felt her breath, warmly cascading over his lips as she sighed, "You make me happy. You are everything I want and more. And you..." she shook her head slightly, searching his eyes in the shadows that painted them both, "You deserve to be happy, too. No matter what you might think. You've suffered enough, Harry. We both have. I've finally figured that out." The breath he let out was full of the ache his heart felt, and not for the first time that day a tear escaped his control. He felt her thumb smooth over it, "Life is never going to be easy, but I've found my peace in you. I want to give you the same."

And then her mouth was on his, and all the fight went out of him. He could use some peace. He could stop fighting what she was trying to give him, what she saw in him. He could let this be the two way street she wanted it to be. He was starting to see that it didn't matter what he thought he deserved. He would always be his worst enemy, his only torture artist. But if a woman like Quinn Snow could love him with all his faults and terrible reminders, then he could sure as hell convince himself that even a sorry sod like Harrison Wells deserved a little peace. He wasn't going to let himself be afraid anymore. He was just going to love her, as hard as he could. There was so much looming over them, so much demand and worry, so much that they couldn't control or didn't know how to fight just yet. But this was something they could do. Together. They could accept each other, make each other happy, give each other peace in the shadows. 

It wasn't long before that kiss, which was so much more than just warm lips, had them throwing all modesty out the window. 

S.T.A.R. Labs was quiet and nearly abandoned this time of night. Though, honestly, even if it wasn't, they probably would have found themselves as they were now. They needed this, to be intimate there in the dancing shadows and dim lights of the breach room, to affirm what they'd said and all they felt without delay. After abandoning their clothes, hands and mouths searching and pining, he'd dived into her depths without a second thought. Quinn's whole body was trembling under his, half from need, half from the cold concrete beneath her bare back. Her skin was trailing with goosebumps, her labored breathing nearly in rhythm with each thrust inside of her. He could feel her nails digging slightly into his bare ribs, those black veins strangely prominent in the dark as she gasped out small breaths. His eyes followed those veins to her chest as he held himself aloft with one hand, keeping the pace, his free hand pressing against the starburst on her sternum between her breasts. It was always so warm, like the small organ beneath it had a higher temperature all its own. 

Quinn watched him every moment, her pupil blown gaze wide and longing, needy, loving. He let out a breath, a slight shake of his head as he slowed the rhythm and simply held himself inside of her. He wasn't finished with her, not even close. But he wanted to remember her face like that, to burn it into his brain and keep it as a reminder of everything she was to him. "You're so beautiful..." he whispered, watching her gaze soften even more, "Stunning." He felt the heat in his words, and felt it pooling in his body as he lowered his gaze down the length of her to where their groins met. He knew every inch of her by now, every curve and soft bit of flesh, everywhere to touch her to make her quiver or cry out in pleasure. He knew every scar, every freckle, every part of every part. But damn if he didn't want to know more, and not just physically. He wanted to know every last thing about her. Her dreams, her likes, her pet peeves. Every possible detail he could possibly learn. He could only hope that they had a future ahead that would allow him to do so. 

He pulled himself out of her slowly, a small sound escaping her lips at the loss of him, and he helped move her gently into a sitting position, directly into his lap, so she was straddling him. Their mouths collided in a sensuous and slow tangle of lips and tongues, the supple and swollen feel of her lips on his making him growl softly, making his dick twitch at the taste of her. He felt her hand go between them, sliding to grip the length of his hardness. He had to break the kiss, to catch his breath as she rose up just enough to guide him inside of her. And this time, it was Quinn who took up the rhythm. 

She moved against him, gripping his shoulders, her head going back at how impossibly deep it felt. She was so tight, wet and warm. He gripped her hips firmly, but let her have all the control. "Shit..." he breathed out, feeling that intense pressure building. He saw her crack a slight, somewhat proud smile, before she opened her eyes without changing pace. She hovered her lips over his, breathing hot and deep, right along with him. He felt the pressure continue to build against his will. Harry wanted this to last, but by the way Quinn's hips and thighs moved, her muscles completely in control, her lips a teasing breath away, he knew she wasn't going to let him fight it. She wanted him to come, he realized. Which was just... well, pleasing. Before long, his hands were gripping her tighter, pushing her down hard onto his dick, sheathing himself as deep inside of her as he possibly could, gasping out his release as his whole groin pulsed. And she held onto his shoulders, fingers pressing firmly into his muscles, her forehead pressed to his, panting and smiling at the same time. 

When he was beyond spent, his breath still slightly labored, he loosened his grip, but didn't let her go. She did the same, but finally allowed her mouth to connect with his. The kiss was supple and drawn out, delightfully taking and giving. And then, it was just quiet. The shadows kept playing along her skin as they sat there like that, connected physically and otherwise, in the relative dark. "Of all the possibilities for my future," he whispered, his voice slightly more gruff than normal from what they'd just done, "I could never have predicted you." She lifted her head, then. One of her hands came up to smooth through his endlessly messy hair, her head tilting slightly as she searched his gaze.

"I never bargained on you existing, either." She whispered back. "But I am eternally grateful that you do." And then they were both smiling. Naked in every way possible. Inside and out, they had nothing left to hide. Not even the dark and the shadows that surrounded them could steal the raw truth they'd filled each other with. The days to come were wholly uncertain and far too complicated to forecast. But they were in this together. And together was something Harry could definitely work with. He was learning a lesson he should have picked up on much sooner. Alone, he might have been strong. But together, with the woman he loves, his daughter and the people he was steadily coming to think of as his family, Harry was far stronger than he'd ever thought was possible...


End file.
